Open Letters

Pioneering Change
The present issue of EDucate! is really educative for me. I immensely enjoyed reading Henry Giroux and Mashhood Rizvi's interview of Peter McLaren. I had been wanting to read more about these scholars but their material is not easy to come by in Pakistan. Ambreena Aziz's article gives me very useful insights into the role of education in our context. I think EDucate is doing pioneering work which should continue.
Dr. Tariq Rahman, Islamabad

Voice of Sanity
The 5th issue is beautifully done as usual. Voices of sanity seem to be loosing the battle at this time. I hope things won’t have to get worse before they get better.
Stephen Fein, Third World Traveler, USA

A Guide for Students
EDucate! looks very good. The magazine is full of information and the article I found most interesting was: ‘What is Sustainable Development’ by Ted Trainer. Others were also informative. This magazine is excellent for students since we need this kind of guideline.
Syeda Aisha Khatun, Student, Karachi University

Denunciating Corporatization of Education
The 5th issue of EDucate! came at a most opportune time. The powers-that-be in our school district have decided that the way to “improve scores on tests” (nothing mentioned about improving the quality of education) is to mandate a lock-step approach to information delivery. This issue of EDucate! is a strong denunciation of this type of corporate education. I commend you in this issue for addressing the topic.
Laurie Williams, University of Texas at Austin, USA

Best Intellectual Service
Undoubtedly, EDucate! is one of the best intellectual services against the discriminatory, biased approaches which are being propagated and projected by the elites, tycoons and representatives of imperialism throughout the globe (whom I call mega death intellectuals).
Akram Shaikh, Karachi

Informative & Healthy Journal
I find the content both interesting and exciting. Best wishes for the continued success of an informative and healthy journal devoted to the priority issue of educating the citizens of Pakistan.Gulzar Bano, Lahore
Enormous Information Base.
I really like your magazine as it is educating people by providing an enormous information base regarding the field of education.
Habib Ghulam Masih, Gujranwala

Looks Good!
The latest issue of Educate! looks very good.
Prof. Michael Apple, USA

Salute To SEF
I salute SEF for raising a critical issue –‘education’ – confronting our nation in a highly intellectual series of articles. My worry and apprehension are which institution(s), if any would pick up the threads and convert the intellectual analysis into a program. The starting point as I see it, from my limited experience, is the need to review the national curriculum and, much more so, a total overhaul of text books. The current text books are a pathetic representation of not such a bad national curriculum, which have little contextual references to make learning meaningful and fulfilling.
Nazam Mohommadi, Aga Khan University, Karachi

Addressing The Crucial Paradigm of Education
Congratulations! It is interesting to see EDucate! carrying the critical discourses on the very crucial paradigms of education.
Barkat Shah Kakar, IDSP, Quetta

Initiating a Rectification Process
I really commend your efforts. I am glad that not only the acute shortage has been realized but a rectification process has also been initiated in the form of a journal.
Pervaiz Iqbal Cheema, Islamabad

Filling the Gap in Education
It is good to know that through your efforts a big gap which exists in the field of education in this country will be filled.
Dr. Moonis Ahmar, University of Karachi

Congratulations
I would like to congratulate you – and Ms. Ghulam Ali – for bringing out such a magazine, and fully agree for the great need and effort to debate such issues for greater awareness and change.
Noman Sattar, Islamabad

Laudable Effort
EDucate! is a laudable effort.
Anwar Ahmed, Rawalpindi

Highly Inspiring
I had a chance of reading one of your issues at the library of FAST, Islamabad and I must say I was really impressed by the highly inspiring content of EDucate!. I congratulate SEF and the EDucate! team for their great accomplishment. I hope you will try your best for the continuous and successful publication of EDucate!
Muhammad Iqbal Anjum

Contributing to Quality in Education
The magazine "EDucate!" will contribute significantly to the idea of bringing about qualitative improvement in the educational sector of our country which we need badly in the current global scenario. As a matter of fact, the change at attitudinal level is required and for that a whole new culture of research based improvement at all levels is required. Once again I would like to congratulate you and your team for this wonderful effort.
Nadeem Ahmad Khan

Impressive as Usual
The 5th issue of EDucate! was as usual very impressive. I also read about the magazine in Dawn’s Education page. Great going all of you and best always.
Zofeen T. Ibrahim, Karachi

Reflections from a Reader

Congratulations for publishing such an interesting and informative magazine. I am a regular reader of EDucate! and as a teacher I regularly refer to your articles in my sessions.

My (students) teachers also like this magazine very much. The best part of your magazine is that you have brought together both international and national educationists at one forum. In your July 2002 issue, Fatima Suraiya Bajia’s interview and Shilpa’s article on factory schooling provided me with great insights. Keep it up. I really appreciate the fact that you are open to the readers’ ideas through your Open Letters section. Your magazine is a wonderful vehicle to bring forth critical educational issues and perspectives. In Pakistan, there are many educationists who have contributed in the development of the education framework of the country, I would humbly suggest that you interview some of them and also carry their profiles in your future issues. Also, many new educational institutions have emerged which are contributing a great deal to education and doing meaningful work in this field. A page covering information on these institutes would help your audience not only to be better informed but also form a ‘collective platform’ to exchange dialogue and better understanding of educational paradigms and create linkages. Islam, Islamic culture and Muslim civilization is also a possible area of exploration and thought. To understand education, it is essential to study the traditional cultural thoughts of the society. After 9/11, it becomes more crucial to focus on this aspect for better understanding of Islam. Also, Prophet Muhammad’s teachings and life is the focal point of understanding the concept of acquiring knowledge (ilm) through spiritual search (ibadat). It is sad to note that we never explore how education can be acquired through self knowledge, ibadat, silence etc. In your esteemed magazine you may focus on these aspects with your reflections. I think in this way, you will be able to create a treasure of knowledge which will enormously benefit our education system.

Shahida Mohiuddin