Citizenship Education
Empowerment and Equal Rights in Tando Allahyar
Tando Allahyar District, located in the rural
areas of Sindh Province, has one of the lowest educational district
rankings in the nation. However, one school in the remote and rural
village of Tando Soomro stands in sharp contrast to the abysmal state of
the public education sector in Pakistan. Because of STEP’s
interventions in Government Girls Primary School – Tando Soomro through
the Cluster Based Mentoring Programme (CBMP), the students in this
school have attained exceptionally high levels of knowledge, skills, and
abilities. The girls are motivated, eager to learn, and ambitious.
During
a field visit to the district Tando Allahyar, several STEP project team
members arrived unannounced at the school to observe classroom
activities. Upon entering the school, to the surprise of the team
members, the female students and teachers had rearranged the classroom
and were busily engaged in an election voting skit. Two girls were
sitting in the front, managing and leading the voting process. The other
girls came to the table one by one, signed their names accordingly, had
their thumbs marked with ink to indicate they had voted, and then
proceeded to the ballot station to cast their votes. The purpose of this
mock-voting activity was drawn from a textbook assignment to educate
students on their rights as citizens and to actively engage in civic
affairs. In a country where women in rural areas are still oppressed by
archaic, feudal and gender discriminatory practices, teaching young
students, and especially girls at an early age, how to vote, the
importance of voting, and the value of democratic citizenship is a
remarkable achievement. Through such activities, students begin to
appreciate and understand the concept of democracy, equal rights to men
and women, freedom, and civic engagement.
Moreover,
the District Coordinator for Tando Allahyar Razia Begum shared that
when Mentor Rehman Gul arrived to begin the workshops and trainings for
the villages’ teachers, the village members prohibited the female
teachers from interacting with the male mentor. Social and cultural
norms of the village forbade interaction between females and males
outside the family. The District Coordinator and Mentor immediately
responded by arranging successive meetings and discussions, attempting
to persuade them to consider otherwise, emphasising the value of quality
education for their daughters. Eventually, the community elders were
persuaded, and the female teachers began attending the training
workshops. In the beginning, the teachers barely spoke up, shared their
thoughts, or expressed their views during the workshops. However, over
time, their confidence and self-esteem grew. Mentor Rehman Gul now
states that the female teachers assertively express themselves and
animatedly discuss and debate over educational issues.
The transformation of the community and
school is evident in the student learning outcomes. The children are
outspoken, bold, and confident. The girls’ learning achievements far
exceed the standards for their grade-level in rural Sindh. Parents and
community members have become more supportive of girls’ education and
actively encourage their daughters to continue onwards for higher
education. One can anticipate that upon completing their studies in
several years, these young girls will be in a position to truly bring
change to their village.