Page 228 - Muzaffargarh Gazzetteer

EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES
Like elsewhere in the province, and even in the country, the performance of
public schools in Muzaffargarh was far from satisfactory too. This was
despite the fact that overwhelming majority of school-going children were
attending public schools. Unless the standard of education was improved in
those public schools, in this era of high competition, there was no hope of a
brilliant future for such children. Even otherwise too, provision of quality
education was one of the primary responsibilities of those who happen to be
at the helms of affairs at every level, be it local, provincial or federal.
Cognisant of its true importance, the District Administration Muzaffargarh
adopted education as one of its top priorities, and embarked upon a
comprehensive strategy to introduce and promote quality education in the
public schools. The District Administration further believed that the schools
were there not only to impart education but to transform the entire
personality of a given child. The importance of co-curricular activities, aimed
at character building, was thus given equal, if not more, attention. Besides
routine measures, some of the most meaningful interventions have been
stated below:

CONSTITUTION OF STUDENTS COUNCILS IN PUBLIC
SCHOOLS
In order to equip students with life skills such as confidence, management,
communication etc, and to revive co-curricular activities in public schools by
actively engaging students, the District Administration/District Education
Authority decided to constitute elected students councils in such schools. It
was further envisaged that such an initiative would not only inculcate sense
of responsibility amongst the students but also introduce democracy and
democratic values at grassroots level, and that too in a country where
regrettably democracy has failed to take roots even after more than 70 years
of its establishment.

Since the term ‘students union’ had developed a negative connotation over
the time, the District Administration and the District Education Authority
painstakingly avoided using it. Also no one wanted to give the impression of
‘unionism’ in our schools. Unlike students unions therefore, where students
with political inclinations/ambitions generally participated, the criteria for
students’ councils were such that only hardworking, capable and disciplined
students could participate and get elected.
In the pilot phase, the students’ councils were introduced in High and Higher
Secondary schools only. It was thought that once perfected, the concept
might be expanded to other schools too. Every council comprised President,
Vice-President and General Secretary hailing respectively from the three
senior most classes of a school. Only those students were eligible to contest
the elections who had secured top three positions in last annual exams. In

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