Prisoners education a neglected priority

Two prisoners in Kot Lakhpat Jail made history by getting the top marks in their category in the Lahore board’s matriculation exams, but do not appear to have made much of an impression on their jailers.

Shahid Mahmood, 37, a convicted murderer in prison for life, came first in the general group for boys with 705 out of 850 marks. His fellow inmate Muhammad Aslam of Jhang, under trial in a murder case, came second in the group with 689 marks. He is also above 30.

Asked to comment on the education of prisoners, Jail Superintendent Tariq Babar told reporters that education was the “lowest priority” for the jail authorities. According to him, education came under the fourth of the four Cs: custody, control, care and correction. Educationists and experts believe correction should be given more importance. When a lack of education is considered one of the main reasons for rising crime and the rehabilitation of prisoners in this country is nil, those who do make the effort to educate themselves in jail should be encouraged.

The other interesting thing about the results was the gulf in results for boys and girls. In the science group, which had for more boy students than girls, eight girls and three boys got A+ grades, 980 girls and 623 boys got A grades; 2,647 girls and 2,171 boys got B+ grades; 6,505 girls and 4,246 boys got B grades; 5,526 girls and 9,401 boys got C+ grades; 2,792 girls and 5,214 boys got C grades; 2,252 girls and 5,728 boys got D grades; 2,334 girls and 8,248 boys got E grades; and 1,514 girls and 8,865 boys got F grades, which would have been fail were this exam not conducted under the no pass no fail system.

The girls also dominated the general group. Only two boys and 41 girls got A grades; 597 girls and 49 boys got B+ grades; 2,865 girls and 303 boys got B grades; 8,628 girls and 1,536 boys got C+ grades; 7,041 girls and 2,093 boys got C grades; 7, 211 girls and 3,18 boys got D grades; 8,215 girls and 6,210 boys got E grades; and 5,434 girls and 9,986 boys got F grades.

Is there a lesson in this for people who prefer to send their sons to school and keep their daughters at home?

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LIVING up to its excellent tradition, the PAF (Pakistan Air Force) Public School in Sargodha achieved 100 percent success in the 2004 matriculation examination. Pre-cadet Muhammad Zirgham Iqbal of the PAF school came overall second in the board’s results and second in the science group with 783 marks out of 850, 92.1 percent of the total. Pre-cadet Muhammad Shafiqur Rehman came third in the science group with 771 marks. Overall, 89 boys of PAF Public School, Sargodha, appeared in the examination and all passed.

Three boys got more than 90 percent marks, 75 of them achieved got more than 80 percent and the rest got more than 70 percent. The school’s pre-cadets secured seven of the first 10 positions in the science group. The institution does not run general classes. It is a residential institution, which invites students in class VIII from all over Pakistan purely on merit. Most of them end up joining the Pakistan Air Force as general duty pilots after appearing before the Inter Services Selection Board.

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GOVERNMENT Community High School on Begum Road, Mozang, also got a 100 percent result in the matric exams. Muhammad Mansoor Sikandar, Omar Ayoub and Sheraz Ahmad came first, second and third in the school. Headmaster Muhammad Azam Butt awarded shields and certificates to the outstanding students and praised their teachers.

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THE Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Lahore, has directed its affiliated schools to collect the result cards for the class 9 annual exams on July 13 from the assistant controller of examinations (secondary schools), otherwise the cards will be posted to the respective colleges the next day.

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THE British Council in Pakistan recently organised an advocacy skills training course in Lahore. A group of accredited Pakistani trainers, trained in 2003 by barristers from the United Kingdom, conducted the fourth round of the training programme to provide lawyers and law teachers with an opportunity to learn modern technical skills such as case analysis, interlocutory arguments and speeches, witness examination, cross examination, client interviews and legal prosecutions.

Senior lawyers have been involved in the training and development of young lawyers and in a plan to set up an advisory in Pakistan. The programme included representatives from organisations interested in improving the quality of the legal profession in Pakistan and will liase with the Bar Council of England and Wales. Amber Dar and Sardar Khurrum Latif Khan Khosa are coordinating the programme in Karachi and Lahore respectively. Lahore British Council Director Dr Iftikhar Elahi awarded certificates to 25 young lawyers trained through the programme.

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THE All Pakistan Private School Management Association leadership has expressed concern at Punjab Education Minister Mian Imran Masood’s statement that a law would be formulated to regulate private schools. The association said the 1984 Private Schools Registration Ordinance was an effective check on private schools and there was no need for further legislation. The association said the new laws would complicate the situation and create more problems for schools. It threatened protests if such a law was passed. The minister had earlier issued a similar statement but withdrew it. waqar gillani

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