جب ہم نے دل کے رشتوں کو پرکھا

 

جب ہم نے دل کے رشتوں کو پرکھا

درویش کریم، آغا خان یونیورسٹی انسٹی ٹیوٹ فار ایجوکیشنل ڈویلپمنٹ / پروفیشنل ڈویلپمنٹ سینٹر، گلگت

گلگت بلتستان ایجوکیشن فیلوز پروجیکٹ کے زیر سایہ ایک خاموش انقلاب برپا ہے۔ 1250 انتہائی تعلیم یافتہ اور نوجوان ، پرجوش اساتذہ کو بھرتی ، اور  انہیں بھرپور تربیت دے کر گلگت بلتستان کے 10 اضلاع میں 600 سے زائد سرکاری تعلیمی اداروں میں تعینات کیا گیا ہے۔ مرکوز تربیت اور مستقل نگرانی کے ذریعے، ہم اساتذہ اور طلبہ کے مابین پیدا ہونے والے مثبت تعلیمی ماحول کا مشاہدہ کر رہے ہیں۔ ہم روزانہ کی بنیاد پر متاثر کن کہانیاں سنتے ہیں؛ جہاں طلبہ اپنے ایجوکیشن فیلوز پر پھولوں کی پتیاں نچھاور کرتے ہیں، ان کے لیے دستی کارڈز بناتے ہیں جن میں ان کی لگن اور محنت کو خراج تحسین پیش کیا جاتا ہے۔ آخر اس کا راز کیا ہے؟ آغا خان یونیورسٹی / پروفیشنل ڈویلپمنٹ سینٹر ہمیشہ تمام ایجوکیشن فیلوز پر زور دیتا ہے کہ وہ اپنے طلبہ کے ساتھ ایک مضبوط اور باوقار رشتہ استوار کریں۔ کیونکہ جب طالب علم متاثر ہوتا ہے، تو اس کا ذہن کھلتا ہے، اس کی توجہ مرکوز ہوتی ہے، اور وہ سیکھنے کے لیے تیار ہو جاتا ہے۔

حال ہی میں، وادی اشکومن کی دلکش خاموشی میں، میں نے اس خوبصورت  رشتے کی حقیقی طاقت کا مشاہدہ کیا۔ یہ طاقت کسی کلاس روم کی سرگرمی یا امتحان کے نمبروں میں نہیں تھی، بلکہ یہ ننھی منی آوازوں کے اچانک خاموش ہو جانے اور آنسوؤں کی خاموش زبان میں  عیاں تھی۔

میں سرکاری گرلز مڈل اسکول گلوداس، ضلع غذر کا دورہ کر رہا تھا۔ میرے ہمراہ اس اسکول میں تعینات چار انتہائی محنتی ایجوکیشن فیلوز اور اسکول کے قابل احترام پرنسپل صاحب بھی تھے۔ استاد اور شاگرد کے درمیان گہرائی کو سمجھنے کے لیے، میں جماعت ششم میں داخل ہوا۔

میں نے سادہ سے انداز میں گفتگو کا آغاز کیا۔ ’’پیارے بچو، آپ ان نوجوان اساتذہ سے کیسے پڑھائی کر رہے ہیں؟‘‘

اس کے بعد جو کچھ ہوا ،وہ تعریفی کلمات کا ایک نہ ختم ہونے والا سلسلہ تھا۔ جو کمرہ کچھ دیر پہلے خاموش تھا، اب جوش و خروش سے گونج رہا تھا۔ طالبات اپنی نشستوں سے اٹھ کھڑی ہوئیں، ان کی آوازیں جوشیلی تھیں، وہ اپنے اساتذہ کے طریقہ تدریس، ان کی شفقت، ان کی سرگرمیوں پر مبنی تدریسی حکمت عملی اور ان کی لگن کی تعریف کر رہی تھیں۔ یہ ایک خوبصورت منظر تھا؛ ایک ایسا کلاس روم جو سیکھنے کے شوقین طلبہ کی توانائی سے بھرپور تھا۔ استاد اور شاگرد کا ایک ایسا  رشتہ عیاں تھا جس کو تقریباً ہر کوئی  محسوس کر سکتا تھا۔

پھر میں نے اس منظر کو ڈرامائی شکل دینے اور اس رشتے کی حقیقی گہرائی کو جانچنے کا سوچا۔

میں نے نرمی سے ان کے جوش و خروش کو روکتے ہوئے کہا، ’’میرے بچو! آپ جانتی ہیں کہ یہ ایجوکیشن فیلوز ایک خاص پروجیکٹ کا حصہ ہیں جسے گلگت بلتستان ایجوکیشن فیلوز پروجیکٹ کہتے ہیں۔ انہیں یہاں آپ کو بہترین سیکھنے کے مواقع فراہم کرنے کے لیے بھیجا گیا تھا، اور انہوں نے اپنی پوری صلاحیت سے آپ کی خدمت کی ہے۔ لیکن ان کا یہاں قیام ایک خاص مدت کے لیے تھا۔ اور آج... آج اس اسکول میں ان کا آخری دن ہے۔ کل سے وہ  دوسرے اسکول میں چلے جائیں گے۔‘‘

یہ اثر بجلی کی مانند تھا۔

خوشی اور جوش کی وہ گونجتی ہوئی آوازیں پل بھر میں خاموش ہو گئیں۔ ان کی آنکھوں کی چمک صرف مدھم نہیں پڑی، بلکہ یکسر غائب ہو گئی، اور اس کی جگہ غم کے ایک گہرے، شدید سائے نے لے لی۔ وہ مسکراہٹیں جو ابھی تک چہروں پر کھلی جا رہی تھیں، جم گئیں اور پھر آہستہ آہستہ بے یقینی اور درد میں بدل گئیں۔ کمرے میں ایک گہری،  اور بھاری سی  خاموشی چھا گئی۔

میں دیکھ رہا تھا جیسے حقیقت ان پر واضح ہو رہی تھی۔ اگلی قطار میں بیٹھی چند بچیوں نے سر جھکا لیا۔ پھر ایک ہلکی سی سسکی نے خاموشی توڑی۔ میں نے دیکھا کہ کونے میں بیٹھی ایک ننھی بچی اپنے ہاتھ کے پچھلے حصے سے آنسو پونچھ رہی تھی، اس کے چھوٹے سے کندھے کانپ رہے تھے۔ سسکیاں آہستہ آہستہ رونے میں بدل گئیں۔ اور دیکھتے ہی دیکھتے دوسری بچیاں بھی شامل ہو گئیں، ان کی آنکھوں سے آنسو بے اختیار بہہ رہے تھے۔ فضا اتنی جذباتی ہو گئی، اس بچھڑنے کے غم کا بوجھ اتنا بھاری تھا کہ سانس لینا بھی مشکل ہو رہا تھا۔

ایک بہادر بچی نے آنسوؤں سے بھری آواز میں مگر پختہ عزم کے ساتھ آواز بلند کی، "سر، یہ بالکل مناسب نہیں ہے!"  اس نے روتے ہوئے کہا۔ "یہ ہمارے اساتذہ ہیں! وہ ہمیں سمجھتے ہیں۔ اب ہماری پڑھائی کون سنبھالے گا؟" اس کے الفاظ ایک بند ٹوٹنے کی مانند تھے۔ پورا کمرہ زار و قطار رونے لگا۔

میں وہاں سنبھل کر کھڑا رہ گیا۔ پرنسپل صاحب متاثر ہو کر یہ منظر دیکھ رہے تھے۔ ہمارے ایجوکیشن فیلوز، اس محبت کے معمار، ان کی آنکھوں میں بھی آنسو تھے۔ اجتماعی غم کے اس لمحے میں، میں استاد اور شاگرد کا رشتہ نہیں دیکھ رہا تھا، بلکہ میں ایک خاندان کو بچھڑتے دیکھ رہا تھا۔

پچھتاوے کی لہر میرے اندر دوڑ گئی۔ میں نے ان کے سکون میں خلل ڈال دیا تھا۔ میں نے فوراً ہاتھ اٹھا کر انہیں پرسکون کرنے کی کوشش کی۔

’’میری پیاری بچیو! براہ کرم، میری بات سنو۔ میں آپ تمام سے بے حد معذرت خواہ ہوں۔ میرا تمہیں پریشان کرنے کا ہرگز کوئی ارادہ نہیں تھا۔ میں صرف اپنی آنکھوں سے یہ دیکھنا چاہتا تھا کہ آپ لوگ اپنے اساتذہ سے کتنی محبت کرتی ہو۔ اور آپ نے مجھے اس کا جواب دے دیا ہے۔‘‘

میں نے سسکیاں تھمنے تک انتظار کیا؛ ان کی نم آنکھیں اب امید اور الجھن کے درمیاں مجھ پر جمی ہوئی تھیں۔

’’یہ محض ایک آزمائش تھی،‘‘  میں نے نرمی سے سمجھایا۔ ’’تمہارے اساتذہ کہیں نہیں جا رہے۔ وہ تمہارے ساتھ ہیں اور ہمیشہ تمہارے ساتھ رہیں گے، تمہاری بہترین خدمت کرتے رہیں گے۔‘‘

ایک پل کے لیے، وہاں حیران کن خاموشی چھا گئی۔ پھر انہیں حقیقت کا احساس ہوا۔ رونا نہیں رکا، لیکن اس کی نوعیت بدل گئی۔ غم کے آنسو اب راحت اور خوشی کے آنسو بن گئے۔ وہ تناؤ بھری خاموشی اب راحت کی اجتماعی آہوں میں بدل گئی، اور اس کے بعد شرمیلی، آنسوؤں سے لبریز مسکراہٹیں چہروں پر کھلنے لگیں۔

اس دن گلوداس میں، میں نے محض تعلیمی جانچ نہیں کی تھی۔ میں نے تعلیم کی اصل روح کو دریافت کر لیا تھا۔ ان بچوں کے رونے کا منظر مایوسی کا منظر نہیں تھا، بلکہ گلگت بلتستان ایجوکیشن فیلوز پروجیکٹ کی کامیابی کا سب سے گہرا ثبوت تھا۔

ہم اکثر نصاب کی تقسیم، سبق کے منصوبوں، اساتذہ کے پورٹ فولیو اور کلاس روم مینجمنٹ کی حکمت عملیوں پر بات کرتے ہیں۔ لیکن سب سے مضبوط کلاس روم مینجمنٹ کی حکمت عملی کوئی ضابطہ اخلاق نہیں ہے؛ یہ ایک رشتہ ہے۔ یہ وہ باوقار فاصلہ ہے جو اعتماد کے بندھن میں بدل جاتا ہے۔ یہ استاد کی وہ لگن ہے جو طالب علم کے دل میں محبت کا بیج بوتی ہے۔

یہ 1250 ایجوکیشن فیلوز محض علم منتقل نہیں کر رہے ہیں؛ وہ اسکول کی دیواروں کے اندر جذباتی پناہ گاہیں تعمیر کر رہے ہیں۔ وہ یہ ثابت کر رہے ہیں کہ جب ایک بچہ اپنے استاد کے ساتھ محفوظ، اور پیار محسوس کرتا ہے، تو وہ نہ صرف سیکھتا ہے بلکھ پھلتا پھولتا ہے۔ گلوداس کے بچوں کے آنسو ان کے ایجوکیشن فیلوز کی محبت، شفقت اور بھر پور بھروسے  کا آئینہ تھے، اور اس عکس میں ہم نے اس پروجیکٹ کے حقیقی، دھڑکتے ہوئے دل کو دیکھا۔ اللہ تعالیٰ ہمارے تمام قابل قدر ایجوکیشن فیلوز کو سلامت رکھے۔ مبارکباد!

 

۱۳ مارچ ۲۰۲۶

 

 

EDUCATION FELLOWS AS THE PRIMARY TEACHING WORKFORCE IN GILGIT-BALTISTAN

 EDUCATION FELLOWS AS THE PRIMARY TEACHING WORKFORCE

An analytical report & evidence from Government schools across Gilgit-Baltistan

Darvesh Karim, Project Manager, GBEF

AKU-IED/PDCN Gilgit.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Gilgit-Baltistan Education Fellows (GBEF) Project was initiated to strengthen educational quality while addressing acute teacher shortages in government schools across the region. While more than 1,254 Education Fellows have been deployed in over 600 government educational institutions, this analysis focuses on 108 strategically significant schools. These schools were purposively selected because Education Fellows constitute either the entire teaching workforce or the majority of teachers, making them highly dependent on the project's continued support.

These institutions represent some of the most educationally vulnerable schools in Gilgit-Baltistan, where continuity of teaching and learning is heavily dependent on the presence of Education Fellows. Collectively, these schools serve approximately 15,821 students and are supported by 343 Education Fellows, demonstrating the project's pivotal role in sustaining educational access and instructional quality in remote and underserved communities.

The findings indicate that the GBEF Project has evolved beyond a teacher deployment initiative. In many institutions, Education Fellows have become the primary instructional workforce, ensuring that schools remain functional, students continue learning, and subject-specific teaching, particularly in Science, Mathematics, Computer and English is maintained.

Key Evidence

·       108 government educational institutions analyzed all ten districts.

·       Approximately 15,821 students are currently enrolled.

·       343 Education Fellows serving as the primary teaching workforce.

·       Numerous schools where Education Fellows comprise 100% or more than 75% of the teaching staff.

·       Several institutions, including colleges, where Education Fellows deliver most of the academic instruction.

·       A substantial proportion of Education Fellows possess Science, Mathematics, Computer Science and English backgrounds, addressing critical shortages in subject-specialist teaching.

Why it matters

The findings demonstrate that Education Fellows are not merely supplementing the regular workforce. In many schools, they are sustaining educational continuity, ensuring that students continue to receive instruction in core subjects, particularly Science, Mathematics, Computer Science and English where shortages of qualified teachers remain significant.

The analysis further illustrates that the project has strengthened institutional resilience, expanded access to quality teaching in remote communities, and enhanced the instructional capacity of government schools.

Strategic Message

“The Education Fellows Project has evolved from a teacher deployment initiative into a strategic investment in educational continuity, instructional quality, and system resilience. The experience of these 108 schools demonstrates how targeted deployment of qualified teachers can sustain learning opportunities for thousands of students in some of Gilgit-Baltistan's most underserved communities”.

BACKGROUND

Teacher shortages remain one of the most persistent challenges confronting public education in Gilgit-Baltistan, particularly in geographically isolated and difficult-to-reach communities. In many schools, shortages are not only numerical but also subject-specific, with a limited availability of teachers qualified to teach Science, Mathematics, Computer Science and English.

The GBEF Project addressed this challenge by recruiting and deploying highly qualified graduates across all ten districts. This analytical report specifically examines schools where Education Fellows constitute the predominant teaching workforce, thereby providing evidence of the project's contribution to educational continuity and system resilience.

This analysis does not represent all project schools. Rather, it intentionally focuses on schools with high dependence on Education Fellows, making them particularly important for understanding the project's strategic contribution.

The analysis is based on administrative deployment records maintained by the GBEF Project, including school-level information on Education Fellow deployment, regular teaching staff, and student enrolment.

 

KEY FINDINGS

Education Fellows Have Become the Primary Teaching Workforce

The most significant finding is that many schools now rely predominantly on Education Fellows to sustain daily teaching and learning activities.

·       Schools where all teachers are Education Fellows.

·       Schools where Education Fellows constitute more than 75% of the teaching staff.

·       Institutions where only one regular teacher remains while the remaining teaching positions are filled by Education Fellows.

·       Degree colleges where, apart from the principal, nearly all lecturers are Education Fellows.

These findings illustrate that the project is not merely supplementing the existing workforce; in many schools, it has become the primary instructional mechanism sustaining institutional functionality and educational continuity.

Sustaining Learning for More Than Fifteen Thousand Students

The 108 schools included in this analysis collectively enroll approximately 15,821 students. The deployment of 343 Education Fellows in these institutions has ensured uninterrupted classroom teaching, curriculum implementation, student assessment, and academic support.

Without this intervention, many of these schools would likely experience severe instructional disruption, reduced teaching capacity, and diminished learning opportunities.

 

Strengthening Subject-Specific Teaching Capacity

A particularly significant contribution of the project lies in strengthening Science education. While many regular government teachers in these schools possess non-Science academic backgrounds, a substantial proportion of Education Fellows were recruited from Science, mathematics and computer and English disciplines.

Consequently, Education Fellows have assumed responsibility for teaching Science, Mathematics, computer Science and English in many institutions, ensuring that students continue to receive subject-specialist instruction.

This contribution extends beyond filling vacant positions; it enhances the quality of STEM education and expands future educational and career opportunities for students.

 

Educational Continuity in Remote Communities

The findings demonstrate that the GBEF Project has played a critical role in maintaining educational continuity across remote and underserved areas of Gilgit-Baltistan. Education Fellows have enabled schools to:

·       Maintain regular classroom instruction.

·       Reduce disruption caused by teacher shortages.

·       Strengthen student attendance and engagement.

·       Improve learning environments.

·       Expand access to quality teaching in geographically isolated communities.

The project has therefore contributed not only to teacher availability but also to greater educational equity.

DISTRICT-LEVEL ANALYSIS

The analysis indicates varying levels of dependence across districts.

S.No	District	Schools	Students	Education Fellows	Average Students per EF
1	Diamer	22	2,616	53	49
2	Skardu	13	3,215	45	71
3	Astore	13	1,590	32	50
4	Gilgit	12	2,617	45	58
5	Kharmang	12	745	27	28
6	Nagar	10	1,938	48	40
7	Ghizer	8	1,717	46	37
8	Hunza	7	637	21	30
9	Ghanche	7	457	21	22
10	Shigar	4	289	5	58
	Total:	108	15821	343	46

 

The data reveals that reliance on Education Fellows is widespread, although the scale and intensity vary across districts according to local staffing patterns and institutional needs.

Across these 108 schools, an average of approximately three Education Fellows are serving each institution, highlighting the extent to which many schools rely on project-supported teachers to sustain classroom instruction.

 

STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS

The findings of this analysis extend beyond teacher deployment and offer important insights for educational planning, workforce management, and policy development in Gilgit-Baltistan. The concentration of Education Fellows in a relatively small number of high-dependence schools demonstrates that the project has become an essential component of educational service delivery in many underserved communities.

 

EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS

The deployment of Education Fellows has significantly strengthened educational continuity by ensuring uninterrupted classroom instruction in schools facing persistent teacher shortages. Beyond addressing numerical gaps, the project has enhanced instructional quality through the placement of highly qualified graduates, particularly in Science, Mathematics, Computer Science, and English. In many institutions, Education Fellows have become the principal providers of subject-specialist teaching, thereby improving learning opportunities and supporting better student engagement and achievement.

 

WORKFORCE IMPLICATIONS

The analysis reveals that teacher shortages in Gilgit-Baltistan are not merely quantitative but also subject-specific. Many regular government teachers in these schools have non-Science academic backgrounds, while a substantial proportion of Education Fellows possess qualifications in Science and related disciplines. Consequently, the project has strengthened the system's instructional capacity by providing expertise where it is most needed. The findings highlight the importance of strategic workforce planning that prioritizes both equitable teacher deployment and subject-specialist recruitment.

 

SUSTAINABILITY IMPLICATIONS

The analysis also highlights the need for long-term planning to sustain the educational gains achieved through the GBEF Project. In many of the 108 schools analyzed, Education Fellows constitute the majority; or, in some cases, the entire teaching workforce. Any abrupt reduction in their deployment could significantly affect classroom instruction, particularly in Science and Mathematics, and compromise educational continuity for thousands of students. These findings underscore the importance of a phased transition strategy, continued investment in teacher development, and institutionalization of successful Public–Private Partnership models to ensure that the progress achieved is sustained over the long term.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

1.      Sustain Education Fellow deployment in schools demonstrating high dependency until adequate government staffing is available.

2.      Prioritize recruitment of Science, Mathematics, Computer Science and English teachers within government workforce planning.

3.      Institutionalize the successful Public–Private Partnership model as an effective strategy for addressing teacher shortages in underserved regions.

4.      Continue strengthening GBEF team and Professional Development Teachers, recognizing their critical role in monitoring and mentoring Education Fellows and maintaining instructional quality.

5.      Develop a phased transition strategy to preserve educational gains while progressively strengthening the regular government teaching workforce.

6.      Use this analysis to inform future teacher deployment policies, ensuring equitable distribution of subject-specialist teachers across Gilgit-Baltistan.

 

CONCLUSION

This analysis demonstrates that the Gilgit-Baltistan Education Fellows Project has progressed far beyond a teacher deployment initiative. In many government schools, Education Fellows have become the primary instructional workforce, sustaining educational continuity for thousands of students in geographically remote and underserved communities.

Perhaps most significantly, the project has strengthened subject-specific instructional capacity, particularly in Science education, where many regular teaching positions are occupied by non-Science graduates. Through the deployment of highly qualified Education Fellows, continuous monitoring, mentoring, and strong institutional partnerships, the project has helped ensure that students continue to receive quality education despite longstanding workforce challenges.

The experience of these schools demonstrates that strategically deploying qualified teachers to underserved communities can strengthen not only school functionality but also instructional quality, subject-specialist teaching, and educational resilience. The GBEF model therefore offers valuable lessons for workforce planning, teacher deployment, and public–private partnerships in remote educational contexts.

“This analysis demonstrates that the value of the GBEF Project lies not only in the number of teachers deployed, but in placing qualified subject specialists where the education system needs them most”.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Bo4HbXDHV/ 

Beyond Teacher Deployment: A Story of Educational Transformation from Gilgit-Baltistan

 

Beyond Teacher Deployment

A Story of Educational Transformation

 

Darvesh Karim, AKU-IED/PDCN

Rizwan stood quietly outside the school gate.

It was early morning. The mountains surrounding the village were still wrapped in mist, and the silence was broken only by the laughter of a few children making their way to school. In his hand, he carried a backpack filled with notebooks, lesson plans, colored markers, and dreams.

He had never imagined that his first job would take him to one of the most remote corners of Gilgit-Baltistan.

Nor did he know that he was about to become much more than a teacher.

Just a few months earlier, Rizwan had been one of more than 27,500 young graduates who applied for an opportunity to become an Education Fellow. After a rigorous merit-based recruitment process involving written assessments, interviews, and teaching demonstrations, he was selected among 1,254 Education Fellows entrusted with an extraordinary responsibility to strengthen public education in government schools across Gilgit-Baltistan.

Like every other Education Fellow, Rizwan believed he had been recruited to teach.

He was wrong!

He had been recruited to learn.

Before entering his classroom, Rizwan spent days in intensive professional learning. He discovered that teaching was not about standing in front of a whiteboard and speaking while children listened. Instead, he learned how curiosity could replace memorization, how simple classroom activities could spark imagination, and how every lesson could become an opportunity for children to ask questions, investigate ideas, and think for themselves.

He learned to plan meaningful lessons, assess learning continuously, manage classrooms positively, and even explore new digital tools, including artificial intelligence, to enrich his teaching. Yet the greatest lesson was simple: “every child deserves to participate, to be heard, and to succeed”.

The first few weeks were not easy.

Some classrooms had several grade levels learning together. Resources were limited. Science equipment was scarce. Some students had lost confidence after months without regular teachers.

At times, Rizwan wondered whether he was making any difference at all.

Then his Professional Development Teacher arrived.

Instead of inspecting him, he sat quietly at the back of the classroom, observed his lesson, and afterwards asked only one question:

"If you taught this lesson again tomorrow, what would you do differently?"

That conversation changed everything.

Week after week, classroom observations became conversations. Feedback became encouragement. Reflection became a habit. Every lesson became slightly better than the one before it. Teaching was no longer a routine; it had become a journey of continuous learning.

Rizwan soon realized something remarkable.

He was never working alone!

Across all ten districts of Gilgit-Baltistan, hundreds of other Education Fellows were facing similar challenges and celebrating similar successes. Through digital learning communities, reflective discussions, professional portfolios, and online knowledge-sharing platforms, they exchanged ideas, shared classroom innovations, solved problems together, and celebrated each other's progress.

Although separated by mountains and valleys, they had become one professional learning community.

The project had not simply deployed teachers.

It had connected educators!

One afternoon, Rizwan visited the home of a family whose daughter had quietly stopped attending school.

The parents welcomed him with tea.

They talked, not only about education, but about dreams.

Rizwan explained that every child deserved an opportunity to learn and that their daughter had shown great promise in the classroom. A week later, she returned to school.

Stories like this unfolded across Gilgit-Baltistan. Communities became partners rather than spectators. Parents grew more engaged, enrolment increased, and confidence in government schools began to return. In several districts, families even started transferring their children from private schools to nearby government schools because they recognized improvements in teaching and learning.

Then winter arrived.

Heavy snowfall and chilly weather closed schools across the region.

But learning did not stop!

Education Fellows transformed community spaces, schools, and colleges into Winter Camps where children continued learning despite the harsh weather. They revised Mathematics, explored Science, strengthened English, and rediscovered the joy of learning together.

For thousands of children, winter became another season of opportunity rather than interruption.

Months passed.

Rizwan's classroom slowly transformed.

Children who once sat quietly now debated ideas.

Science models appeared on classroom tables.

Mathematics became an activity rather than a fear.

Parents visited more often.

The school felt alive.

Rizwan smiled whenever visitors praised his work.

Because he knew something they did not.

This transformation was never about him alone.

Behind every successful lesson stood an entire system, a government committed to improving education, a university investing in professional development, Professional Development Teachers providing continuous mentoring, Head Teachers creating supportive schools, District Education Offices coordinating implementation, and communities believing once again in the promise of public education.

Rizwan had become part of something much larger than himself.

Today, when people ask what the Education Fellows Project achieved, they often speak of numbers.

More than 1,254 Education Fellows.

More than 600 government educational institutions.

Hundreds of classroom observations.

Thousands of students.

Winter Camps.

Educational exhibitions.

Improved learning outcomes.

Those numbers surely matter!

But they tell only part of the story.

The real achievement lies elsewhere!

It lies in classrooms where children began asking questions with confidence.

It lies in teachers who never stopped learning.

It lies in communities that rediscovered faith in their neighborhood schools.

It lies in young graduates who arrived believing they would teach children and left realizing that the children had taught them something even greater, “the hope”.

Educational transformation rarely begins with a new building.

It begins when someone believes that every child deserves an excellent teacher.

The Gilgit-Baltistan Education Fellows Project reminds us that when young professionals are carefully selected, continuously mentored, professionally trusted, and supported by strong partnerships, they become far more than teachers.

They become catalysts of hope.

And sometimes, one teacher becomes an entire movement – God bless all Education Fellows!

 

 

July 28, 2026

https://pamirtimes.net/2026/07/29/beyond-teacher-deployment-a-story-of-educational-transformation/

https://english.chitraltimes.com/beyond-teacher-deployment-a-story-of-educational-transformation-by-darvesh-karim-aku-ied-pdcn/