The Center of Pakistan and International Relations (COPAIR) hosted the launching ceremony of the Digital School at Zoom webinar with the collaboration of Taleem Foundation.
- Miss Amna Malik – President COPAIR welcomed the guest speakers of the session and appreciated them for sparing their precious time for the launching ceremony of the Digital School. The President of COPAIR also highlighted the efforts of Taleem Foundation for their collaboration with COPAIR which will further the national cause. She stated that, “the Digital School solution is a concept that captures the vision of digitalizing a school’s learning and its management system to equip students with 21st-century competencies and skillsets.” She reiterated that the world is constantly changing and to endure we need to hone the skillset of students.
- Shagufta Noreen, the Project Coordinator of the Digital School, commenced her speech by contextualizing the intentions of launching the Digital School. She said that it is a dream of Taleem Foundation to reach the students from different socio-economic background and form an inclusive foundation of this digital learning center. She added that the curators of the Digital School are looking forward to prepare a syllabus for the students with the help of special teachers and professionals, which is in line with the needs of the present day job market, and evolving technological base. She shared the vision of the collaborators to start a project-based learning system for the students of Pakistan. She added that the Taleem Foundation is already working on both English and Urdu languages syllabus for the students and we will also focus on sharpening the contemporary skills of students like storytelling etc.
- Asim Mushtaq, Project Director of the Digital School stated that, “ever since the outbreak of COVID-19 and temporary closure of the schools, the trend of online learning is getting traction and we as an organization are preparing the people for the online education system from last few years.” He was of view that people are aware of the computing system and its usage for education but due to complexity and difference in the teaching process there is a need to train the faculty for online medium of learning. The biggest challenge faced by the online educators is to manage the learning system and it is necessary for the Digital School to develop the expertise of teachers and prepare the content. He also shared the pilot project of e-learning system at Sui Balochistan, which will help those female students facing difficulties in going to school campus.
- Zafar Qadir, Chairman Digital School, said that the Taleem Foundation started in 1989, and our focused area was educational development of Balochistan, but now with the launch the Digital School we can reach all the peripheral areas of Pakistan. He mentioned that Taleem Foundation currently employs more than 300 females for the enhancement of online education in the country. Mr Zafar pointed out that their organization launched an e-School from Karachi and Islamabad in 2015 and it will act as the role model of the future projects. He commended the leadership of COPAIR for association and launch of the Digital School system in Punjab, which will commence its first session in September. He concluded by saying that the Tele school TV channel is also a great initiative for wider coverage during the nationwide lockdown during the pandemic.
- Saleem Ranjha, Member of BOD Taleem Foundation said that, “For online education system teacher and student both musbe familiar with the computer and internet usage for effective learning. He emphasized that regional languages will be added in the Digital School soon and reading material will be translated in local languages.
- Manawara Bibi Baloch, MNA-PTI said that online learning system is important and its significance is increasing day by day especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. In Balochistan, the harsh ground realities hinder female students from on-campus schooling and underdeveloped education system also discourage the students from pursing their learning but the Digital School have potential to overcome these challenges. She praised the efforts of the Taleem foundation, which started educating the students of the peripheral region of the country. In the end, she highlighted the dilemma of the Balochistan schooling systems where many students do not have access to the computer labs and internet facilities but their passion for learning must not go futile.
- Farzana Shahid, Member BOD Chairperson Academic Council at Taleem Foundation said that she would participate in the teachers training of the Digital School and emphasized that the online teaching methodology should be made easier. She reiterated the point that Balochistan province has very limited resources but people of Balochistan are passionate about educating their younger generation and in order to facilitate them we must find alternatives. Hinting about the Taleem Foundation, she added that the platform was initially designed to serves as space where teachers, educators and parents can find ideas for implementing new ways of learning through the Digital School system but now it is rendered into a one-stop shop for online learning and education.