Education in the time of terror

My (not yet) 7-year-old grandson bemoans that the mid-day break during which he munched the sandwich his mother so lovingly prepared for him, has been eliminated from his school day’s schedule. Another grandchild, a year older, misses his taekwondo session and rolling exercises he loves because the games period no longer exists on the school timetable.
Their older sister, a fifth grader, observes philosophically that these days we do not start the day with the name of Allah and His Prophet (pbuh). Since the morning assembly has been called off, the gems of wisdom from the podium by the principal or head teacher that gave the young children food for thought are now conspicuous by their absence. And all these restrictions have been imposed on them because of intimidation by a group of people who want to invoke the Shariah! On reaching school they must all go straight to their classrooms and remain there until it is time to make their homeward journey.
In order to be an efficient nursery for the physical and mental growth of children, a school must have large and ample grounds on which the youngsters must come out to play, make enduring friendships and form good values and comradeship. The study of dead records called books is pretty much meaningless unless these are accompanied by a simultaneous study of nature to sharpen the faculties of the mind. School grounds when thoughtfully laid out provide the children with a suitable place to study nature as well as create a sense of freedom that cannot be found in small classrooms, most of which are over-crowded and cramped. The sceneries, the birds and small animals, the plants and the trees, the leaves and the flowers all put together make valuable contributions to the intellectual and emotional culture of the child.
Extensive school grounds are essential for maintaining the health and physical development of the children. Open air and outdoor games are arranged regularly for a healthy mind to be preserved in a healthy body. It is only the open fields that give birth to ‘the spirit of sportsmanship’, a term that covers many moral qualities. The spirit of social service has to be inculcated in students at a very early stage and it is astonishing to see how quickly children pick up this training and fall in with such ideas. It engenders tolerance and creates a bond of fellowship among the students since school life affords many opportunities for cooperative and social work among students.
School curricula should be strengthened by means of well-arranged excursions to places of natural and historical interest. Such outings within and outside the country were regularly organised by schools in better times. They are useful in sharpening the minds of the students. Visits to seaside resorts, hill stations and lakes prove useful for the study of geography and geology while a vivid interest in history is created by visiting places of historical importance. Fortunately the country is blessed with bounties of both – and more. The benefit to health is a pleasant off-shoot of such excursions.
As character is the foundation of life, character-building must have a prominent place in the entire gamut of education. If these aspects are consistently kept in mind it should be possible to build or rebuild a school system that will meet the needs of the country. But for all this to happen there has to be peace and freedom of thought and movement.
The atrocious attack on the innocent students of the Army Public School, Peshawar on December 16 last year has turned education all over country on its head. Parents are scared to send their young ones to school even as schools and the governments spend millions of rupees to provide ‘foolproof’ security. But one can never be sure of what may take place, when and where. A group of people who did not themselves acquire any education fell prey to radical and extremist ideas and now wish to impose their ideas on others with blatant use of force and arms. Tragically they find support from politically ambitious and power hungry elements within civilised society in performing such deeds.
What then is the solution? Greater resources of spiritual strength, physical courage and plain stamina to persevere despite formidable odds. The shrinking of the world communication-wise intensifies the battle against wrongdoers and raises international consciousness against those who not only kill young people but also crush the human spirit.
We must find ways of deepening our perception, of pushing through confines and breaking loose our thoughts of fear and surrender because systems, however good, are not enough. Freedom and courage must become an attitude of the mind so that we can recognise what obstructs its articulation. Schoolchildren must redouble their creative, cultural and sporting activities to overcome the fear and terror being nourished inside them.
Email: anwerabbas1@gmail.com