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During opening remarks at the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly on 23rd September 2021, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of a world on the “edge of an abyss”. This is true, the world has never been so divided and engulfed in multiple crises as it is today. Among other highly significant issues, the depletion of freshwater is an imminent threat to human life.
Water covers 70% of our planet, and we think it is always plentiful. However, freshwater—the water we drink, bathe in, irrigate our lands with, is really rare. Only 3% of the world’s water is freshwater, and two-thirds is unusable. According to studies, more than one billion people worldwide lack access to fresh water, and nearly three billion find water scarce for at least one month of the year. Our ecosystem has gone too polluted. Rivers, lakes, and aquifers are drying up. Many cities of the world can face zero-water situations like Cape Town.
Pakistan is not an exception, heavily populated, economically stressed, the politically unusable-The country can face zero water situation. We cut forests at the fastest rate and mar the quality of life. In the name of tourism, the current government has allowed building the mega cement structures in northern areas, shelving aside the concerns of environmental experts. Unbridled human activities in the regions of glaciers and waterfalls will punish us. The punishment is the scarcity of water and rising temperatures. Freshwater resources are decreasing at an unparalleled scale. Pakistan’s per capita water availability had dropped from 5060 cubic meters per annum in 1951 to only 908 cubic meters in 2019. More than four thousand cubic meter reduction in just six decades is an alarming rate. If we remained aloof, rivers and lakes will be dried forever. Aqua life will be history. The Hindu Kush Assessment Report (2018) states that around 33% of glaciers will melt by 2100 — around 14,000 glaciers on average. Ice loss of this scale will have serious consequences for millions of people, resulting in worsening food insecurity, irreparable economic losses, and intensified natural disasters. We have already witnessed the deadly damages of the floods.
The Indus Delta is a breathing line for the local communities. Our delta is facing threats from two fronts. Rising sea levels and construction of dams. As of now, more than 92% of the Indus Delta has disappeared, and freshwater is inaccessible to local communities on the coastal lines. This is a huge loss and will take many decades to recover, even we start from today.
Enforcing the construction of dams without the consent of the provinces will do nothing but weaken the national fabric. PTI government has never been interested to open coordinated and collaborative forums as Council for common interests to discuss the issues and give a chance to representatives of the province to talk. Sindh and Balochistan have grievances over the water sharing formula implemented by the Indus River System Authority, which fails to honor the Water Apportionment Act (1991). The federal government opened another front of the confrontation between Karachi and Islamabad. That is mega-developments on two Iceland of Sindh without giving an ear to the grievance of the local people and provincial government. This attitude widens the trust deficit.
If Pakistan is to mainstream the idea of water conservation then it needs new narratives- new campaigns to unite the nation. The narrative is based on sincerity. We need the amplify the consequences of the water shortage and eco-pollution. Public awareness is the cornerstone to success. If the public is not convinced then it is impossible to win the game. Use water wisely-can be one narrative. Just tapping off the taps when giving brush to teeth, we can save 8 gallons of water per month. One reason why Cape Town managed to alleviate its acute water crisis was through a collective water conservation effort, people played a very positive role. Public awareness programs made an effective impact. Our curriculum must have lessons on water conservation and this starts from an early age. We must do everything in our capacity to mitigate the water crisis. Every drop of water has a value.
I hurriedly hit snooze so as not to wake the baby up and hope to sneak in extra 5 minutes of sleep before I have to get up for work. Nayel was upset all night, kept feeding for comfort and finally fell asleep by my side in the early hours of daylight. The thought of going to work with almost no sleep is exhausting, yet I quickly drift into a deep slumber.
But then, the alarm rings.
The extra five minutes are spent thinking what if I call in sick? My mind is sifting through today’s calendar, appointments, to-do lists,s and meetings that have been scheduled weeks in advance.
Reluctantly, I slowly get up and as soon as my feet touch the ground, my 13 months old toddler wakes up.
When I turn to look at him, he has a wide grin on his face with his arms stretched out towards me; a signal to pick him up. I scoop him in my arms and kiss him good morning.
As soon as I step out of the room ready for heading off to work, Nayel sees me from across the living room and runs with his small baby steps at full speed towards me. He knows that his mama like every other morning is going to leave him for hours at stretch and clings to my leg while crying and screaming.
My heart breaks into million pieces, exactly like it did yesterday, and the days before that. And once again, the mom’s guilt kicks in.
The guilt that I, like millions of other working moms am not doing enough for my baby. That I am not a good mother or a good employee; that both are mutually exclusive and I can’t be good at one thing without having to forgo the other.
According to reports, women’s participation in the labor force is 22% in 2020 for Pakistan which is well below international standards. This is influenced by our cultural norms where a woman’s main role is defined as a homemaker. The women who step out to work are either looked down upon or are expected to perform the role of both a homemaker and a working woman. Hence, when women choose to work, they are subconsciously trained to feel guilty for leaving their children behind with a caretaker or other members of the family. This, in turn, affects their decision to work, and the majority of the women cave in front of family pressure and as a result quit their jobs.
The guilt of a working mom never decreases, in fact, it keeps increasing with every step the baby takes when you’re at work, every new word he utters in your absence, every laughter, every sob, every wound he suffers exploring new things and every time he refuses to take a bite from your hands because his caretaker knows what he prefers to eat and when.
It is easy to judge working moms left, right and center every time they miss their child’s milestones. But there’s something else they miss out on that they never admit; the after-work drinks plan with their co-workers, the weekend gatherings at their colleague’s house, or the game nights with other couples because they’re trying to spend as much time as they can with their bubs.
After all, motherhood is all about sacrifice, right?
The constant feeling of having to look over our shoulders, be it at work or at home so we don’t make any mistakes that result in an adverse performance evaluation or dissatisfaction among family is a huge burden that we carry with us every day.
Hence, to every working mom out there, I want to reiterate that you’re doing great. Whether you have hired full-time help for your baby while you work on your ambitions, or extended your leave so you can spend time with your little bundle of joy, opted for a post that is not as rewarding for your career but gives you an opportunity to make time for your bub or quit work altogether; you know what is best for your family and your child is lucky to have you as his mama.
Single national curriculum (SNC) : Indoctrination of one unit
SHOUKAT LOHAR
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The writer is an assistant professor in English at Mehran University of Engineering and Technology Jamshoro.
Twitter@Lohar Shoukat
Aerial View of what’s happening:
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Apart from Afghanistan, any other topic that is most discussed in Pakistan today is the Uniform Curriculum or Single National Curriculum. When we hear about a uniform curriculum, words like the uniform standard of education, the uniform language of education, and the uniform system of education come to mind. Perhaps the government of the day also wants to use these progressive words as a beacon to remove the scientific injustice and social inequality that has been going on in the country for 74 years.
But with the announcement of the implementation of this curriculum, there was resistance from a large number of people. On the one hand, the proponents of this education system insist on proving themselves to be true Pakistanis, on the other hand, its opponents are linking it to Islamic fundamentalism and women’s opposition. It is being interpreted in its own way and there is a lot of uneasiness about it in both the public and the private sector. If the same curriculum is taught at every level of the country without any economic or social discrimination, then why object to it? The reality, however, is a little different.
Learning religious education can be essential to the ideological foundation of any society and all governments take steps in this regard. Balance is necessary everywhere. The concerns of progressive elements and left-wing intellectuals regarding a uniform curriculum cannot be dismissed outright. From religious fundamentalism to non-science, from anti-women content to the insecurity of minorities, uniform curricula face enormous challenges. We will take a brief look at the legal, ideological, religious, scientific, and historical aspects of this curriculum here.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan on August 15 announced the implementation of a uniform curriculum across the country except for Sindh. The uniform curriculum will be implemented in three phases. In the first phase, the same curriculum will be taught in all public and private schools and madrassas from first to fifth grade. From next year, the law of uniform curriculum will be implemented from sixth to eighth grade and then from 2023 to ninth to twelfth grade.
Eighteenth Amendment:
First of all, if it is to be given constitutional status, then there is a fundamental loophole in it regarding the Eighteenth Amendment. According to the amendment passed in 2010, the education sector is a purely provincial matter and the federation cannot take any unilateral decision in this regard. But in this case, by adopting an undemocratic attitude, an attempt has been made to violate the Constitution of Pakistan. All the provinces except Sindh did not offer any resistance in this regard which is a matter of concern.
Article 25 of the Constitution. According to AK, the state is obliged to provide free education to all children between the ages of five and sixteen and to provide education under Article 22 without any distinction of caste, color, race, or religion. According to a UNICEF report, Pakistan has the second-highest number of out-of-school children in the world at around 20 million. Implementing a uniform curriculum and hoping for its success without ending the violation of these basic rights of the people can only be a crazy dream.
A cursory glance at the structure of a uniform curriculum, its implementation methods, and its implications for the future reveals its superficiality and lack of understanding. It’s like a bunch of mistakes. Its ideological aspect is beyond comprehension. Attempts have been made to unnecessarily confuse two different disciplines, science, and religion. Instead of being properly linked, they are unnecessarily mixed up.
It is as if religious and scientific differences have been exacerbated, widening the gap between religious and scientific circles. The practice of inserting religious interpretations in purely scientific subjects and not improving religious books can upset the scientific balance of this society. According to reports, a board of scholars is being formed under the SNC to look into the science curriculum and make possible changes to it, and a proposal to remove certain biological images from books as a “crime” of spreading obscenity is also under consideration. ۔ You can well imagine the impact it will have on the development and reputation of Pakistani society.
Some objections to a uniform curriculum are that it would provide a strong basis for radicalizing society and Islamic fundamentalism, behind the scenes and ignoring the structure of Pakistani society. Maybe it’s too early to say. Only time will tell. However, the history of our country does not have positive indicators in this regard.
Another worrying aspect is that attempts have been made to present scientific and research material from a particular point of view and to kill its pure spirit. It is as if neutrality, which used to be a feature of science, will no longer exist.
One hopeful aspect of minorities is that they can put whatever they want in place of Islam in relation to their own religion.
If we talk about the number of children’s books and materials under the same curriculum, it is also telling proof of the irrationality of the government. Here we take a look at the curriculum of the third grade, the number of prayers and moral etiquette included in the curriculum is more than the prayers and moral content included in the curriculum of the organization of madrassas and liaison madrassas. The same is true of other subjects. There are other types of printing press errors.
How to make a uniform curriculum acceptable to all? The answer is simple. First of all, the reins of educational affairs and affairs should be left in the hands of purely educational experts and people familiar with child psychology. According to the current government, the opinion of international experts has been sought regarding a uniform education system, but nothing has been said about the importance of the opinion of these experts and the extent to which it has been implemented.
A Solution:
All schools of thought, especially all democratic institutions, political parties, civil society, and parents, should be included before implementing a uniform curriculum. The uneasiness in the conscious class of the society regarding a uniform education system should be stopped. The current curriculum should be tailored to the changing demands of the modern world and historical realities. Instead of spreading radicalism, providing ideological support to neighboring Afghanistan, and implementing a biased political and military curriculum, one can look at the curriculum of developed Muslim countries alone and find answers to many questions. Furthermore, efforts should be made to make Pakistan a purely developed state, avoiding any kind of ideological and religious laboratory. Only then can our country stand in the ranks of the civilized nations of the world.
As someone who has been born and raised in the United States, the evolution of change has been invariably materialized. For a country that has been cultivated over 200 years ago, many would not deny the drudgery and triumph that led the Founding Fathers of America to plant the fertile seeds of opportunity to make the country we have today.
Similar tribulations and triumphs had also endeavored a path for Pakistan as well during the 1947 partition. This established new grounds to build a better country for the majority ethnicity of Muslims to prosper a new nation for many years to come.
So, what went wrong? Where did Pakistan miss its golden opportunity to recognize its full potential?
My frequent visits to Pakistan have exposed me to the true reality of Pakistan, and how its resources and government were not properly utilized to their full capacity. The vast rivers that gush through the land, and coastlines that overflow with trades and resources are just some of the few assets that made Pakistan a key country for the possibility of achievement. The government of Pakistan also poses as an additional distinction of aptitude to service the country with equality and justice rather than despair and exploitation.
Recalling the year 1947, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan achieved independence, new government reforms, and high hopes for the future of the newly claimed territory. Although hung by a thread of no wealth and resources since it was granted to India, the raw eagerness to preserve and uphold their vision of the Islamic Republic brewed upon the minds of Quaid-e-Azam and Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan.
Aside from many of the provincial controversies that sparked between India and Pakistan following Jinnah’s death as well as the internal conflicts within Pakistan itself, the grassroots developments initiated to restore the ceased economic progress of Pakistan. Under these new advancements, the regiment of Ayub Khan led to the enlivening momentum of economic growth in the early 1960s. The burgeoning country extended arms to the western world, receiving assistance in economic sources from the United States leading to accelerated growth and development by 6%. Dynamic shifts in growth persuaded the manufacturing, industrial and agricultural sectors of Pakistan. Moreover, the western assistance focused on Pakistan’s potent rivers as an important asset to vitalize irrigation and ferment an increase of wheat and rice throughout the country.
The evolution of Pakistan’s development yielded giant strides of improvement as Ayub Khan’s served to fixate water agreements with India and undertake hydroelectric projects along the Indus River. This greatly impacted the countries capable of being more formidable and viable for the country’s economy to sustain on.
However, as things started to look up for the ever-changing country, the amount of civil war and ongoing conflict between Pakistan’s diverse ethnic communities led the people to consign to the oblivion of working together to build the country’s future. Instead, the unrest led to conflicted formalities, injustice, and stifling friction of power and leadership.
To compare with western history and development, the United States started with colonizers who slowly began to strategize and implement a constitution and plan for economic and civil growth once the Declaration of Independence was signed. From 1776 onwards, the country started to revolutionize its lands with immigrants from around the world to come to revive and bolster a New World Order. This helped create a melting pot of diverse civilizations and opportunities for the next 200 years.
Although this type of conflation during Pakistan’s partition did not include immigrants from around the world, the ethnic diversity that sprouted from India, Bangladesh as well as Afghanistan started a coarse path towards progression. The conspicuous difference between Pakistan and the USA however is how the people made use of themselves to serve their neighbors, more so their country to create a better future for prospective generations.
The more people engage and partake in the country’s economy and democracy, the more economic and governmental gains will arise. This is where the opportunity for Pakistan’s potential becomes evident. The idea of working together to establish internal ethnic peace and contributing each other’s economic ideas collectively as one nation will not only lead to an opportunity for economic and demographic growth, but also a chance to put Pakistan on a recognized platform, both globally and regionally.
Aside from land and rivers, the people of Pakistan are a type of treasure and asset to unlocking a country that flourished with opportunities for all people of Pakistan. This encompasses a chance for jobs, better education for the youth, and benefits for both the middle and lower class. With the majority of Pakistan being middle class, it is vital for the people of this growing nation to meet halfway and create equality between all people, both at home and professionally.
The over-looming corruption that flows over the country must also be eradicated through the common people’s voice and impose justification that benefits all working classes, especially the younger generation, the future of Pakistan. Although corruption has exposed itself all around the world, it is vital for the people of Pakistan to stand up for themselves, just as they did to gain independence in 1947. Allow history to repeat itself, let those who hold the country firmly within their palms understand the problem, and loosen the shackles of corruption for the sake of the people of Pakistan.
If corruption were to never exist in Pakistan, there would be an abundance of equality and opportunity for all people: young or old, rich, or poor. I personally imagine that our streets would be cleaner in the southern demographic regions of Pakistan. The people would be more caring and prioritize education and innovation for the young minds of Pakistan. There would be peace within the government, a democratic and equal justice between all leaders and civilians.
The lack of potential for this country all comes down to the people. The issues that prevail within the country, both externally and internally, occurred for a reason. It is what made the country of Pakistan as it is today. However, the reformations needed from both the people and leadership will allow the country to pave a fresh road to the country’s future, power, and leadership for years to come.
Better trade relations, strategic alliances, neighborly reconciliation, and economic devotion are just a few of the many building blocks needed to reconstruct a better Pakistan. From the people, for the people, the evolution towards greatness lies in the palms of the Pakistani natives, forever and always.
The writer is an assistant professor in English at Mehran University of engineering and technology Jamshoro.
Overview:
In modern old English occupies the foremost position. Internationally people need common ground to share their views and ideas and English serves the purpose. For this reason in this research paper, some techniques are given which can be used in colleges and universities to prompt English learning. For foreign language learners gadgets like mobile phones and PDAs should be used to enhance learning a foreign language by learning idioms, vocabulary and improving pronunciation by the use of the world wide web and other applications in mobile phones. But for this purpose students needs to be encouraged for using mobile phones in classrooms.
Introduction:
If one goes to any university these days he/she will come to know that almost every student uses a mobile phone routinely. According to Taylor(2001), more than 90% of the 15 to 24 aged population own a web-enabled mobile. Looking at the popularity of these gadgets one should wonder that can these gadgets be used for learning a foreign language like English?
Learning a foreign language requires memorization and practice of a large number of vocabulary, idioms, and grammatical structures along with proper pronunciation. For students of English as a Foreign Language (EFL), 5000 base words are considered a minimal requirement for understanding non-specialized English texts (Laufer 1997; Nation 1990). And the memorizing of a new word or concept depends upon the quality and frequency of information activities of brain research says (Hulstijn 2001). This means the same learning material should be used in reading, writing, speaking, and listening which could not be done in the limited time of a class. Yet, in many educational institutions around the world, the amount of class time is very limited. In Pakistan universities especially the universities in Sindh, a typical class meets three times a week with an effective time of 45 minutes each. Teachers need to make difficult choices about how to use that limited time to promote language learning. Since foreign language students usually have opportunities to speak and hear the target language only in the classroom, it makes sense to use as much class time as possible in communicative activities. This means that other kinds of practice and exposure must be provided in other ways. Therefore one can use mobile technology to provide more opportunities in learning English.
While the literature on mobile phone use in the classroom is scarce, there has been some research shedding light on the topic. Mobile phones and their use in language learning have yet to receive much attention.
Thoronton and Houser (2005) presented three studies in mobile phone learning. They tested them in terms of the email exchange in the mobile phones, receiving vocabulary lessons at timed intervals to the mobile phones, and finally using video capable mobile phones for explaining English idioms. Students felt that using mobile phones in learning is “a valuable teaching method” and they highly rated their “educational effectiveness” in the classroom. A further study by Kiernan and Aizawa (2004) evaluated the use of mobile phones as tools for classroom learning. Freshman university students were surveyed and pre-tested to assess certain target learning structures. Then they were subdivided into three groups: (a) using cell phones text messages, (b) using computer e-mail, and (c) speaking. The study suggested that mobile device proofs be an effective “language-learning resource worthy of further investigation”.
4.1 SMS and email using a mobile phone:
Subscribers have standard e-mail addresses assigned to their phones and can exchange email with other phones and desktop computers. Modern phones have capable email clients offering photo attachments, multiple mailboxes, ‘filters’ to automatically categorize incoming mail, and downloads from multiple servers. SMS on the other hand is more convenient for the students because it can be exchanged using low_ended mobile phones also. The cost of SMS varies between service providers in Pakistan one can send unlimited SMS for a period of two weeks at approximately Rs 40. But receiving SMS is absolutely free. In contrast to SMS, e-mail is a bit expensive. But since students already send and receive so many emails and SMS on their mobile phones, the cost of messages sent on their phones would be but a tiny fraction of their mobile phone bill.
Text material via mobile phone email:
Research on memory and learning suggests that for an idiom or a new word to be stored in long-term memory, distributed practice is superior to massed practice (Bjork 1979; Wozniak 1995; Dempster 1996). Cognitive psychologists have found that when two presentations of a stimulus are close together (i.e., massed presentation), then the improvement in memory performance, compared with a single presentation, is limited. On the other hand, when two presentations of a stimulus are temporally farther apart (i.e., spaced presentation), then performance on a memory test is significantly better than performance after a single presentation. The advantage in memory performance that occurs when two presentations are spaced instead of massed is referred to as the spacing effect. (Greene (1989) reviews studies investigating the spacing effect.) Studies have examined spacing effects in the learning of foreign language vocabulary without technology (Bahrick & Phelps 1987; Dempster 1987). These show that the number of recalled words was greater under spaced conditions. Other studies have also shown that the type of rehearsal is important: Elaborative rehearsal that causes deeper mental processing is more effective (Craik & Lockhart 1972). This suggests that students of a foreign language should review words at spaced intervals, and in a variety of contexts, to facilitate long-term memory storage. Research has shown that both intentional learning through explicit instruction (Nation 1990; Coady 1997) and incidental learning through reading (Nagy et al. 1987) can lead to vocabulary acquisition in nonnative language learners. A combination of these methods is recommended by most experts (Hulstijn 2001; Wood 2001), but existing teaching materials provide inadequate exposure for learning many of the 5000 essential words (Groot 2000). Thus, students need a structured program in which unknown words are identified and then taught in a way that supports long-term memory storage. We thought that push media like e-mail or SMS would provide such a program.
Video and web material via mobile phone(vidioms):
Idioms are very difficult and completing to memorize because they do not have a literal meaning and they are highly contextualized. To make students understate idioms properly and deeply we made a number of web pages. The first web page explained the literal meaning with the help of computer animation in the native language. The second web page explained the idiomatic meaning in foreign language 9English with the help of computer animation.
Conclusion:
The students these days use mobile phones a lot especially the email feature but they think it can only be done to check out the class schedules and other activities. We used the popularity of mobile phone technology and e-mail feature in foreign language learning using two methods, first using textual information (e-mails) and second using vidioms.
The students responded positively to both processes referring to them as comfortable, interesting, and effective, and a/so the foreign language material provided by these methods have more probability to retain in their long-term memory because they used all the modes of communication (reading, writing, listening and speaking) according to research mentioned above. In addition to that animations were also included.
Moreover, the attitude of teachers and policymakers should be altered towards the gadgets like mobile phones in the universities of Pakistan. So that the foreign language learners can make the most of these types of gadgets using e-mails, SMS, the internet, and other applications.
Addition work.
Further work could be done to form more quizzes for mobile phones as they are already popular BBC Bitesize Revision (2004). Mobile phones can also be used as writing tools for taking notes, composing essays and reports as it is seen that students can write faster on mobile interfaces as compared to Pcs (Houser and Thornton 2004).
In the future efficiency of mobile phones can be increased by developing flash movies of foreign languages, websites, and Java programs allowing students to use education simulations and games on mobile devices.
Japanese students may have unique attitudes towards learning, mobile technology, and pattern of usage of mobile technology. This type of poll and experiment should be alone in other cultures and countries too to determine the potential education of mobile education around the world.
References:
Bahrick H.P. & Phelps E. (1987) Retention of Spanish vocabulary over 8 years.
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition 13, 344–349.
BBC Bitesize Revision – Mobile (2004) Retrieved June 21, 2004, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/ mobile Bjork R.A. (1979) Information-processing analysis of college teaching.
Educational Psychologist 14, 15–23. Coady J. (1997) L2 vocabulary acquisition: a synthesis of research. In Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition (eds J. Coady & T. Huckin), pp. 273–290.
Cambridge University Press, New York. Cohen A. (2002, October 15) Japan loves wireless.
PC Magazine 21, 18–136. Craik F. & Lockhart R.S. (1972) Levels of processing: a framework for memory research. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior 11, 671–684.
Dempster F.N. (1987) Effects of variable encoding and spaced presentations on vocabulary learning. Journal of Educational Psychology 79, 162–170.
Academic Press, Boston. Ericsson (2001) From e-learning to m-learning: the book, Chapter 4.
Retrieved on April 2, 2002, from HTTP:// learning.ericsson.net/leonardo/thebook/chapter4.html Genesee F. (2000) Brain research: implications for second language learning.
Eric Digest, December. Retrieved on June 1, 2003 from repositories.cdlib.org/crede/occrpts/ eric_00_12_brain/ Greene R.L. (1989) Spacing effects in memory: evidence for a two-process account. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition 15, 371–377. Groot P.J.M. (2000) Computer-assisted second language vocabulary acquisition.
Language Learning & Technology 1, 60–81. Gustavsson P., Lunden J., Nulden U. & Taghizadeh F. (2001) Mobile scenarios: supporting collaborative
Shoukat Lohar
Assistant professor in English at Mehran University of Engineering and Technology Jamshoro Sindh Pakistan.
The need for improved parenting could not have been direr in today’s circumstances where our children need it the most. With western influence across the world and technological advancements, it becomes a challenge for our country’s parents to establish a fine line between a good parenting strategy and avoid having their kids succumb to the world’s views on life’s endeavors. It stems from a need for improved parenting as it can play an important role in preventing child maltreatment. By definition, child maltreatment includes the possibility or existence of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse and neglect that is inflicted upon a child by his or her guardian who is responsible for their wellbeing and care. Unfortunately, this has been persistent in Pakistan for decades. Although there is little research data to represent the accuracy, it is thought that at least 30% of the 70 million children aged below 18, across the country face some sort of child maltreatment according to research led by Maul, KM et al in 2019. Many of these children are also living in poverty with high malnutrition rates, child labor, and homelessness (Government of Pakistan 2010). According to Hyder & Malik’s research from 2007 & 2010, conservative cultural beliefs and corporal punishment play a role in creating a social taboo and makes it more challenging to tackle this sensitive topic. Underfunding child protection and the lack of expertise at a national scale leaves a vast majority of our children in a vulnerable state and victims of such maltreatment.
Such circumstances call for the need to educate the parents of our country to understand their roles, responsibilities, and capacity to have a positive impact on their children, for the sake of a better future and raise a generation that is better equipped to contribute to our nation’s growth on a domestic and international scale. There are many factors that can affect parenting, but the support for parenting and the families in our community has the potential to prevent and reduce child maltreatment. However, given that the problem persists at a national scale and has been embedded into our society for decades, it likely requires a well-formulated strategy that aims to reach large segments of the community. Before we discuss how to implement such strategies, we must explore the need to take a population or community-wide approach to parenting support for the means of preventing child maltreatment.
Reasons for a community-wide approach
For one thing, a famous study by Prinz, RJ in 2019 highlighted that parents are reported to have engaged in physically abusive parenting behaviors at a rate 40 times higher than the official rates that are displayed. This means that many parents in a household rely heavily on discipline practices that are coercive in nature for child misbehavior. According to the study, it was determined that such coercive and abusive practices against the children can cause permanent damage to the child’s health and development.
Secondly, singling out parents that are at risk for child maltreatment can deter such families, out of embarrassment or shame, from participating in programs that can help learn how to prevent child abuse. Instead, parenting support services should be presented and perceived for the benefits it provides to the whole community, normalizing parent participation in these programs. This is just how schools encourage parents to get involved in their children’s education for the best outcomes.
Therefore, interventions for parenting that are based on research evidence can not only help prevent child maltreatment but also help avoid children’s behavioral and emotional problems at an early age, improving their readiness for school. A good parenting strategy can also help reduce the risk of academic failures, substance or drug abuse, delinquency, and dropping out of school, in late childhood and adolescence.
Lastly, a community-wide approach can help result in a positive social contagion. The contagion for positive parenting is more effectively spread by strategically using our media and communications and engaging the service sector businesses for the purpose of reaching as many parents as possible.
Matthew Sanders and his colleagues from the University of Queensland in Australia introduced and established a multilevel system of interventions known as the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program. This program represents a well-detailed support system for parents on a wide scale that can be implemented across large populations. There have been many evidence-based studies where Triple P has proven effective in the prevention and early intervention on large-scale populations.
The Triple P system
The conceptual framework of the Triple P system is drawn from several disciplines including applied behavior analysis, cognitive-behavioral intervention, parent-child attachment, and family systems theory. This framework stems from many research and evidence-based strategies that are clustered into the categories of relationship building between parents and children, encouragement of desired behavior, the teaching of new skills and behaviors, and management of misbehavior. The table below was published in a study by Prinz, RJ in 2019 and explains the application of each skill to child development.
Table 1. Description and Applications of Core Parenting Skills Promoted through Triple P
Skill
Description
Application
DEVELOPING GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH CHILDREN
Spending quality time with children
Spending frequent, brief amounts of time (as little as one or two provides minutes) involved in child-preferred activities
Encourages exploration, and provides opportunities to build children’s knowledge, and for children to reveal and practice conversational skills
Talking with children
Having brief conversations with children about an activity or interest of the child
Promotes vocabulary, conversational and social skills
Opportunities for children to become comfortable with intimacy and physical affection
ENCOURAGING DESIRABLE BEHAVIOUR
Using descriptive praise
Providing encouragement and approval by describing the behavior that is appreciated
Encouraging appropriate behavior (speaking in a pleasant voice, playing cooperatively, sharing, drawing pictures, reading, cooperating)
Giving attention
Providing positive nonverbal attention (a smile, wink, or pat on the back; watching)
As above
Having interesting activities
Arranging a child’s physical and social environment to provide interesting and engaging activities, materials, and age-appropriate toys (such as board games, pencils, and paper, CDs, books, construction toys)
Encouraging independent play and promoting appropriate behavior when in the community (for example, hopping or traveling)
TEACHING NEW SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS
Setting a good example
Demonstrating desirable behavior through parental modeling
Showing children how to behave appropriately (for example, speaking calmly, washing hands, tidying up, solving problems)
Incidental teaching
Using a series of questions and prompts to respond to child-initiated interactions and promote learning
Promoting language, problem-solving, cognitive ability, and independent play
Ask-say-do
Using verbal, gestural, and manual prompts to teach new skills
Teaching self-care skills (such as brushing teeth or making a bed) and other new skills (such as cooking or using tools)
Using behavior charts
Setting up a chart and providing social attention and backup rewards contingent on the absence of a problem or the presence of an appropriate behavior
Encouraging children for appropriate behavior (such as doing homework or playing cooperatively, asking nicely) and for the absence of problem behavior (such as swearing, lying, stealing, tantrums)
MANAGING MISBEHAVIOUR
Setting clear ground rules
Negotiating in advance a set of fair, specific, and enforceable rules
Clarifying expectations (for such things as watching TV, shopping trips, visiting relatives, going out in the car)
Using directed discussion for rule-breaking
The identification and rehearsal of the correct behavior following rule-breaking
Correcting occasional rule-breaking (such as leaving school bag on the
Using planned ignoring for minor problems
The withdrawal of attention while the problem behavior continues
Ignoring attention-seeking behavior (such as answering back, protesting after a consequence, whining, pulling faces)
Clear, calm instructions
Giving a specific instruction to start a new task, or to stop a problem behavior and start an appropriate behavior
Initiating an activity (such as getting ready to go out, coming to the dinner table), or terminating a problem behavior (fighting over to do instead share, keep your hands to yourself)
Backing up instructions with logical consequences
Using specific consequence that involves removing an activity or privilege from a child or the child from an activity for a set time
Dealing with disobedience and mild problem behaviors that do not occur often (for example, not taking turns)
Using quiet time for misbehavior
Removing a child from an activity in which a problem has occurred and having them sit
Dealing with disobedience and children repeating a problem behavior after a logical consequence
Source: Prinz, R. J. (2019). A Population Approach to Parenting Support and Prevention. The Future of Children, 29(1), 123-144.
Evidence of effectiveness
According to the research by Prinz, RJ 2019, a vast number of studies have been quoted to show the consistent and statistically significant positive impact on parents and children. The principles highlighted above have proven to be applied on a broad scale and are highly recommended by other behavioral scientists, one of them being Laurence Steinberg from Temple University in 2012. To determine its applicability on ethnic populations, Alina Morawska and her team highlighted in a study that there can be some modification to the Triple P system to suit the needs of different populations and dynamics. This study showed the effect of Triple Pleading to a positive impact on parenting and children in other countries such as Australia, New Zealand, North America, Kenya, Panama, a few Asian countries.
Therefore, it is high time that we in Pakistan also piloted the prospect of such population-wide strategies across our communities to provide support programs to upscale the parenting skills amongst our communities.
REFERENCES
Alina Morawska et al., “Is the Triple P—Positive Parenting Program Acceptable to Parents from Culturally Diverse Backgrounds?,” Journal of Child and Family Studies 20 (2011): 614–22, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-010-9436-x.
Diana M. Haslam and Anilena Mejia, “Accommodating Race and Ethnicity in Parenting Interventions,” in Sanders and Mazzucchelli, Power of Positive Parenting, 332–43.
Government of Pakistan (2010). Reforming the child protection and welfare systems in Pakistan: Opportunities and challenges in advancing child rights. High-Level Meeting on Cooperation for Child Rights in the Asia Pacific Region.
Hyder, A., & Malik, A. (2007). Violence against children: A challenge for public health in Pakistan. Journal of Health, Population, and Nutrition, 25(2), 168–178.
Lazenbatt, A., & Freeman, R. (2006). Recognizing and reporting child physical abuse: a survey of primary healthcare professionals. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 56(3),
227–236.
Laurence Steinberg, The 10 Basic Principles of Good Parenting (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004).
Malik, A. (2010). Determinants of child abuse in Pakistani families: Parental acceptance-rejection and demographic variables. International Journal of Research in
Business and Social Science, 1(1).
Maul, K. M., Naeem, R., Khan, U. R., Mian, A. I., Yousafzai, A. K., & Brown, N. (2019). Child abuse in Pakistan: A qualitative study of knowledge, attitudes, and practice amongst health professionals. Child abuse & neglect, 88, 51-57.
Prinz, R. J. (2019). A Population Approach to Parenting Support and Prevention. The Future of Children, 29(1), 123-144.
On Friday, 17 September 2021, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) team refused to leave their hotel rooms due to some security threat. The NZC head, in his initial statement, informed that due to a “direct and imminent” security threat it was impossible for the board to continue the tour, cited as the “only responsible option”. It raised objections over the security arrangements that were made for the visiting team. The Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan talked to the Kiwi counterpart to take her into the confidence that the visiting team was secure and safe in the state-level security. The delayed match was eventually canceled and a charter plane landed the next day to take players home. No threat information was shared with Pakistani security forces and intelligence agencies. It was assumed that the UK high commission shared security information with the New Zealand Government, the allegation that was promptly denied by the British High Commission. But, the denial proved false when it became clear that the information was shared by the Five Eyes Alliance.
A cricket series between two countries includes more than one cricket match. It takes huge financial resources, manpower, and logistic arrangement to make a tour happen. After the attack on Srilankan Cricket Team in 2009, it was much harder for Pakistan to make proper arrangements for a cricket series. It took lots of diplomatic and goodwill efforts to bring cricket back home. Unfortunate, cricket lovers in Pakistan and Pakistanis all over the world suffered another blow to the international cricketing events at home.
The Kiwi Government’s decision to call off the tour was not a coincidence on political grounds. It is a hint at broader challenges which Pakistan might have to face in the future. But for analysis on recent developments, it is the pressure that is being exerted on Pakistan through different channels after Islamabad refused to provide bases and air space facilities to the United States. However, Pakistan has shown some respect to the US pressure during the 20th SCO Summit at Dushanbe. Prime Minister Imran Khan emphasized inclusive government in Afghanistan. He related global acceptance of the Taliban government to the fulfillment of promises made by them.
Unsettled Afghanistan is a security threat to Pakistan. Therefore, the role of leadership at diplomatic levels has been pivotal. Amnesty offered to Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), talks with Tajik and Uzbek government to make settlements with Tajik and Uzbek clans in Afghanistan, and natural offer of joining the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) are some of the genuine efforts that are open to general information besides intelligence support that Pakistan has provided to prevent internal crisis in Afghanistan.
Naturally, in the current geopolitical setup of the region, the stability of the concerned players is uncertain. In such conditions, a tiny incident can stir up the whole diplomatic arena. The backing out of the NZC Team is an example. The event has damaged the soft image of the country completely in the sporting world. Besides, Pakistan Cricket Board has suffered a huge financial loss under the heads of arrangements that were made for this series. Moreover, it has drastically affected the possibility of international cricketing events in the country.
The mishap was programmed by the United States. It was impossible to breach foolproof security for any threat in Rawalpindi, the safest place in the country. A transit place where security forces of NATO nations are safe enough to stay, a security threat to the cricket team that is already secured by state-level arrangements, seems erratic.
The mystery revolves around ‘Five Eyes’; the intelligence alliance that comprises English-speaking countries the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. It is a signals intelligence protocol framed by UKUSA Agreement through Atlantic Charter 1941 and BRUSA Agreement 1943. It was officially enacted in 1946. Initially, it included the USA and UK but later Canada, Australia, and New Zealand joined in. It is a mechanism in which automatic sharing of intelligence information is done between the five eyes. The alliance also includes Germany, France, the Philippines, the Netherlands, and many other countries as associates that are not a part of the information-sharing mechanism.
In this mechanism, the information is produced by intercepting communications between people. The decoded information is shared in an automatic information mechanism that is accessible by the partner states. The information that may contain security threats, internally or externally, for partner states is made into an automatic alert for proactive security measures.
The Fives Eyes formerly known as the UKUSA Agreement is based on information sharing tradition between the two countries that was practiced during World War II. After its official enactment in 1946, it was joined by Canada in 1948, and a decade later Australia and New Zealand joined it in 1956. The mechanism played a pivotal role throughout the Cold War. It was a hidden mystery until the documents released by the UK Government Communications Headquarters GCHQ revealed the exchange of information between partner countries during the Cold War. The documents leaked by Edward Snowden also indicated that that the US National Security Agency (as a part of Five Eyes) took part in mass surveillance activities through interception of communication.
The alliance has remained the most successful espionage alliance since its inception. It monitored the movement of the Soviets during the cold war and now looks closely upon the activities of China in Mainland China, Taiwan, the South China Sea, and Hong Kong. It is instrumental for the US for lobbying against China such as revealing China’s treatment of its Uyghur Population in Xinjiang province, a military takeover of the South China Sea, and a dictatorial regime in Hong Kong.
New Zealand is a smaller contributor to the alliance. The information that is shared through the mechanism is mostly originated from Washington followed by the UK. It is less often that Canada and Australia put their share in the bucket. But the recent developments made by the Chinese have proven to be detrimental for the alliance. The soft expansion of Chinese investment and industry through bilateral and multilateral trade deals hugely affect the policies of the US allies towards China including New Zealand. The denouncement of Pakistan’s reputation was brought to the stage by New Zealand Government’s decision. The damage resulted from the Kiwi Government’s reliance on the shared intelligence mechanism. The event disclosed the fallouts of Pakistani intelligence. It demonstrated that Pakistan is a regional player in the context of a great game between the world powers. It is undenied fact that internal security and stability has much improved due to rigorous decision-making and collective efforts of security forces and agencies. However, handling international relations is not Islamabad’s cup of tea yet. While Pakistan’s intelligence agencies and security forces are busy handling regional affairs, big players cook something different.
Single national curriculum (SNC) is introduced by the PTI-led Government with the vision to bringing the whole nation on the same morals despite the diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Such efforts are made in past as well but remained futile. The significant reason is the whims and self-centered goals of the rulers that are mostly, not for the well-being of the educational system but to serve their purpose. The already faltering educational system of Pakistan will likely touch the ground if coercive tactics are used to implement the SNC.
Prime minister Imran Khan believes that enforcement of the SNC will end the divisions among society. The child enrolled with the government school in a backward area of the country will have the same opportunity of learning as of child studying in some elite school of Islamabad or Karachi. He envisions that children in far remote areas of the Kohlo can compete for the student of Islamabad, but this vision is premised on wrong thinking.
The content introduced in the SNC is vastly based on the closed mindset of ethics. These ethics are only approved by self-proclaimed pious sections of society. Increased focus on faith and narrow nationalism will not bring us at par with the modern world but surely downgrade us more.
It is fact that we are lagging behind many developing nations in science and technology. Review the history of last two decades, no significant contribution is visible in terms of research. In a pandemic, we relied on other nations for the provision of vaccines rather than conducting our own scientific research to produce cost-effective medication. Even we failed to become part of the international academic consortium for making some contribution in research.
Education has remained on low preference, this compels parents to send their children to private schools, though the private sector is more focused on generating revenues rather than imparting quality education. Government schools are devoid of many of the attributes and facilities to call them modern schools. This is the main reason that most parents strike out the government schools from the priority list. Rather than addressing the core issues of the educational system, the PTI government approach is focused somewhere else. SNC will not serve the purpose either way, neither it will improve the education nor it will provide a quality curriculum. What is needed is to put more budget to better build the infrastructure, introduce modern scientific tools for training, establish laboratories and libraries.
One basic problem of our system is that our textbooks are frozen in the refrigerator of history and are regressive. No one took the effort to change them, SNC has reinforced the retrogressive thoughts in a better way. It’s great to conversant with the past but it’s wrong to always celebrate the past with jingoism. We need to be pragmatic when teaching our children. SNC promotes to see past with narrow prim of jingoism.
What is needed to be done is to enhance the education budget at a significant level, revisit the textbooks and bring them to par with the modern world, teach children in their mother tongue, Otherwise jingoism closed mindset will push us more towards down the path.
The writer is a Postgraduate in History from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.
The traditional concept of global power has been changed. In the twenty-first century, real power belongs to the nation engaging in trade relations with the world. While looking at the changing dynamics of the world, it is indispensable to understand that how great nations rise to their glory. In a very recent and unprecedented move, China is expected to invest $400 Billion in Chabhar Port in Iran. The project aimed at strengthening bilateral ties between two countries and boost up regional advancement. In addition to the economic ties, the deal also bolsters military relations. However, Iran has sidelined India from the multi-billion project. The move pushed India towards regional isolation. After investing billions of dollars at Gwadar Port, China is willing to involve in Chabhar. Both mega projects would serve the strategic objectives of China and strengthen its influence in the region. This article seeks to discuss various challenges to the Iran-China deal, such as India’s reluctant attitude towards the deal and US ambitions to contain China’s rise in the South Asia and Middle Eastern regions. Moreover, it also sheds light on some prospects for regional development and peace in the near future. At last, a pragmatic set of remedial measures has been proposed to overcome challenges that hamper regional developments.
To start with, cutting India out of the Railway project pushed New Delhi closer to the US. For the last many decades, the US has been remained adversarial to Iran. But, things started worsening in 2018 when the US unilaterally pulled out of the JCPOA treaty. It resulted in heavy sanctions on Iran and halted the nuclear program. Furthermore, sidelining India from a Chabhar Project would increase belligerency among regional powers. It goes without saying that India could not join China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) due to the US factor. As CPEC is against the interest of the US. Mainly because CPEC gives China direct access to the Energy Rich region known as the Middle East. Therefore, Chabhar Port offers another opportunity to China to increase its influence.
Moreover, the landmark deal would surely breathe some life in Iran’s faltering economy which has been witnessing heavy US-led sanctions for the last many years. Chinese investments in Iran not only accelerate the escalation with Washington but also affects the regional status quo. There is no denying that the US failed to contain China in Indo-Pacific. Hence, the clear path takes Xi Jinping in the Middle Eastern region. Another cold war is taking place in which small powers will also play their role.
Additionally, unresolved Afghan causes will have adverse effects on the Iran-China deal. Terrorist organizations always intimidating regional peace and creating hurdles in the road to development. For Instance, the South Asian region battling against terrorism for the last two decades. As a result, it has been left behind in socio-economic development and progress could not be materialized due to the long enmity between regional powers. These mega projects demand greater peace. Regional security becoming the subject of heated discussion and appears main concern for China. Thus, external powers playing a role to resolve the Afghanistan issue.
<Preceding paragraphs discussed challenges to the Iran-China deal. While following paragraphs highlighting prospects.
Firstly, the Chahbhar project gives direct access to Pakistan in an energy-rich region. Pakistan has been facing an acute energy crisis for several years. The Iranian port is 200 Km away from Gwadar. This new deal would be proved beneficial and offers greater opportunity for Pakistan. Besides, energy resources, Islamabad can purchase crude oil from Gulf countries and sell it to Southeast Asian nations. At present, nations with strong trading partners have largely emerging economic giants in the twenty-first century.
Secondly, developmental works are aimed at regional connectivity. Except for India, all regional countries are willing to join the CPEC project. Recently, the Afghan President expressed his concern to become a part of the mega project. It will uplift the Afghan economy and ameliorate the socio-development sectors of war-ravaged countries. Such initiatives provide some breathing room for crippling economies and improve countries on Social Development Index.
<Following remedial measures – will likely bear fruit and provide a clear path to the Chabhar port deal – if implemented.
A decades-long enmity between Pakistan and India pushed the region towards a warlike situation. Delhi’s bullying attitude creates a security dilemma. For instance, India is inclined to the US, as it has not acted according to the agreement due to the US fear of sanctions. As a result, Tehran has cornered Delhi and welcomed China in the new deal. Similarly, setting aside all the grievances, nations need to step forward and develop peace which has been remained unfamiliar in South Asia.
Projects like CPEC and Chabhar will have positive impacts on the entire region. Currently, South Asia battling against, poverty, unemployment, and terrorism. Such predicaments hinder the road to progress and prosperity. The multi-billion projects offer livelihood to the indigenous people, stand for poverty alleviation and boost up trade relations.
To sum up, the rise of China becomes inevitable in the multi-polar world. Instead of maximizing its military power, Beijing has largely adopted the policy of open trade with countries. At present, China has more trading partners in the world compared to the US or any other western nation. For Instance, China has remarkably built its market in South Asia and Europe. Recent studies show that there is no single country in the world where Chinese products are not reached. President Xi Jinping setting a significant example and making the world its trade market. As a result, China is emerging the world’s largest economy and replacing the US as a superpower, and bringing new world order known as Asia-centric.
