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Yes, I was home-schooled and I turned out fine
Whenever I am introduced to someone, they are certain to ask me the following, very annoying question: “Which grade are you studying in and what school do you go to?” My answer generally leaves them...
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Dreams do come true: Malala goes back to school
There is a Malala in each and every girl of this unfortunate country. Amidst this war torn country, this teenager voiced her opinion against those elements of society which, quite atrociously advocate...
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Is your child’s backpack too heavy?
Recently, my eldest son joined school at the nursery level for formal education. I was surprised at the list of things to collect: books, copies, pencils, sharpeners, lunch box, water bottle, bag,...
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KGS admission blues and the pursuit of (academic) happiness
Saturday, March 16, 2013 was probably one of the few very anticipated days in the academic calendar. For many, it was undoubtedly a defining moment for their kids. Yes, it was the day when one of the...
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A chat with Imran Khan’s biggest ‘little’ fan: He will do my homework and...
“Sir, ap Imran Khan ko nhi jantay. Wo Superman hai!” (Sir, you do not know Imran Khan. He is Superman!) This is what a child stated at my secondary school back in my hometown - spreading his arms in...
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When ragging in hostels turns to sexual abuse
We reached the university hostel. My parents very were happy because I had been admitted in one of the top notch universities of Pakistan located in Punjab. It was the first time in my life that I was...
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Schoolchildren’s travel woes
Children, as young as three-years-old, travel long distances to reach their schools and that, too, in overloaded vans, pickups and rickshaws. Sometimes, unfortunate accidents occur, like the one in...
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Pakistani with every fiber of my being
I hail from green and white - from a crescent and a star. I live under lights that do not dim, even with electricity loadshedding every day. I walk in slums and narrow streets. I travel across shahrahs...
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Do you care about the life of an average Pakistani?
It’s about time. Your chauffeur will be here soon to take you home. And on your way, you will certainly stop at at least one signal. At this point if you put your time away, take the Cuban cigar out of...
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Horrors of 2007 in Swat: We need the Army
Yesterday I was reading The Express Tribune, when my eye caught an interesting statement made by the new elected chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). He was boldly talking about pulling out the...
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Admission packages and taking students for an expensive ride
It’s that stressful time of the year when students are excited and anxious at the same time; the transition between O’levels and A’levels isn’t easy. Why you might ask? Well, it's upsetting to many...
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A reply to TTP commander Adnan Rashid’s letter to Malala
Dear Mr Adnan Rashid, Your letter has left me confused. Right after you expressed regret to Malala over her shooting you write: ‘Taliban attacked you, was it Islamically correct or wrong…I will not go...
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Will radicals succeed in making India ‘for Hindus only’?
The Hindu right wing government in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh finally withdrew the order introducing lessons from the religious text Bhagavad Gita in school curriculum. They also wanted...
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When will Pakistan say ‘Yes, it is my fault’?
I remember during high-school when my friends and I got bad grades, we blamed the school administration. When the roads in Islamabad were polluted with squashed ‘Frost’ juice boxes, we blamed the...
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7 reasons why Aitchison College is the best school in Pakistan
A common thread unites a disparate group of great Pakistanis, each of whom has made a mark on the nation’s landscape. What does Mr Syed Babar Ali have in common with Adnan Sami? What links the...
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Going to school during Ziaul Haq’s time
I was born almost a year after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, to an Air Force family. Hence, my entire schooling was done in schools run by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) during General Ziaul Haq’s...
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8 hours of school and then tuition: Is your child learning anything?
I was quite disturbed to hear that Haroon Tariq - the student who secured 38 As in IGCSE - has opened up a tuition centre where he intends to offer paid tuition for O’ and A’ level subjects. It is...
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Malala would be better off living in Canada
Jon Stewart was not wrong when in his late night The Daily Show, he offered to adopt Malala Yousafzai. He was highly impressed by this child’s advocacy for education and for him, it looked like a...
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Lalas are fighting each other…but who is giving them weapons?
“Chachu, I heard three deafening explosions and I have been hearing gunshots for three days now! Dad is not even letting me go to school because of the terrible situation outside,” said my 12-year-old...
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ADHD: Why can’t you sit still kid?
While growing up, in school, did you ever notice that distracted, uninterested class mate, who would just not sit still, was annoyingly talkative and almost always failed in studies? Did you follow up...
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