I humbly dedicate this post to all the Presentation Sisters and their selfless service to humanity, particularly in the context of my own experiences. When the Presentation Sisters were given the option to choose between boys’ or girls’ education in Swat, they opted for girls’ education long before the birth of Malala Yousafzai, who later gained international fame as a champion of girls’ education worldwide.
It is natural for biological parents to dedicate their lives to the educational development of their children, but it is rare for someone to dedicate their own lives to the education of others’ children, as the Presentation Sisters do worldwide. During my last visit, I discovered how stressed and concerned the Principal, Honourable Sister Teresa, was about her students’ focus. She requested that I deliver a short motivational talk to the 9th and 10th-grade students as an alumnus.
The brilliant educationalist and diligent Principal, Sister Teresa, can be seen proudly in the picture next to the baby Sangotian, Hafsa Inayat, of my alma mater at the Prize Distribution Ceremony held in Peshawar, which was chaired by the Honourable Chief Minister of KP, Honourable Amin Khan Gandapur. Nevertheless, the news came as a bombshell to me when I discovered the most unprofessional tabulation of marks by the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Swat.
I wonder whether the Honourable Chief Minister observed the anomaly, which could not be a coincidence. The 1st position was awarded to Zarak Muhammad Khan of the newly founded International Public School Kabul Swat, who secured 1154 marks. Shockingly, Hafsa Inayat of Public School Sangota Swat stood 2nd with 1153 marks, while ironically, Muhammad Saqlain of Al-Azhar Educational Institute Panr Mingora Swat stood 3rd with 1151 marks. Embarrassingly, Mehran Sikander of Masali Education Academy Wanai Swat stood 4th with 1150 marks—all with a differential of just one mark.
Though the results speak for themselves, they reveal an ill intent to state-sponsored support for newly launched private educational institutes, which then use these marks and students as marketing bait to attract new students—a professionally immoral act that the Convents across the world, being non-profit and charity-oriented, avoid to enroll new students.
I am sure the Honourable Chief Minister, on whom all hopes for the rebirth of a new Pakistan free of corruption, nepotism, and discrimination are pinned, will take cognizance of such foolish tabulation of marks with a differential of merely one mark in all coveted positions.
This obvious professional dishonest act warrants an impartial and fair inquiry into the method of paper checking adopted by the Swat Educational Board, which denied studious students their right to be fairly judged rather than discriminated against merely because they lost a mark and were ranked second, third, or fourth.
