Dr. Zafarullah Mirza Special Assistant for Health to Prime Minister Imran Khan is looking for plans to handle the corona pandemic and its effects. (Source: PTV 09:00 PM news)
Our roadmap to education, awareness, and survival
1). Instead of creating any new content and curriculum for online education, e-learning or distance/virtual/remote institutions; we should translate and localize the content of Khan Academy in Urdu, Sindhi, Punjabi, Balochi, Pashtu. (Please don’t reinvent the wheel and waste scare resource. Khan Academy content is free and up to the mark)
2). As per rumors, the government is going to launch a television channel for education; we should not invest in new tv channels or radio stations. All sports channels can be utilized because during corona there will not be any live sports event, it will save time and money to develop new infrastructure as well as already employed people will not be unemployed.
3). When I talk about the content of Khan Academy then a question will arise, there are no religious studies and national studies there. We should need a few courses to develop from scratch like:
- Religious studies: it will be focused on how the corona pandemic shut down all religious places without any discrimination of Shai, Sunni, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, Sikh, etc. And how everyone is looking toward scientists and researchers for a cure to come back to life again. (One hour of content will be sufficient)
- National studies: it will be focused on how different countries counter the corona pandemic situation. How they help their public using health facilities, unemployment and sick allowances, and other social benefits and how can we achieve that level without begging for aids, grants, and loans. (One hour of content will be sufficient)
- Ethics and Civics: it will be focused on how to eliminate intellectual dishonesty, moral corruption, and religious hypocrisy. How dangerous are the greed, fear, and ignorance of common man for society and the system? How to speak the truth, stand for right, ensure true justice and maintain social-economic equality?
- English Language for Urdu, Sindhi, Punjabi, Balochi, Pashtu speaking students as English is the universal language of knowledge.
- All courses will be based on problem-solving, analytical skills, critical thinking, thought-provoking and should be interactive. Playful pedagogies must be utilized.
We don’t need any other education yet, no higher education or something that. We need to concentrate on the foundation, concepts, and principles so we can compete with the contemporary world. Once we will do this, we will be able to utilize massive open online courses of the world’s top universities like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Cambridge, Oxford, etc.
Federation of Pakistan should request services of Professor Pervaiz Hoodboy and Professor Ashraf Iqbal immediately at a strategic level so the nation can get benefits from their esoteric knowledge and expertise. These academicians are completely aware of the importance of scientific and mathematical education at grass root level without any prejudice of Mullah and the Military. This is the only way forward if we are serious regarding the sustainability and honor of our future generation. Corona pandemic can reform and transform Pakistan because now, the cult followings of both KSA and Iran would discover wisdom.
Almighty Bless the Federation of Pakistan
Tahir Ramzan 