In backdrop of the fact that learning poverty was grown from 75 percent to 85 percent during COVID-19, the Pakistan Learning Festival (PLF) organized on Thursday with the aim highlight the importance of book reading, literature, storytelling and STEM technology.
Organized by Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi’s (ITA), the event debated on climate change as well performing arts, heritage, tolerance, inclusivity and citizenship as to ultimate learning experience for all school systems of Baltistan in Sakardu where the festival was actually held. Almost 20,000 students attended two days PLF with over 75 sessions and 6 book launching ceremonies were also part of the festival. The students were exposed to films by Samar Minallah and SOC as well as to Sohail Rana’s songs/lyrics about peace, friendship and tolerance and the beautiful anthem of the PLF written by ZehraNigah and composed/sung by Rakae Jamil.
The PLF as a vibrant learning platform merits serious policy consideration where children are enabled to become co-creators with their animator-resource persons, to learn academics and life skills through a social emotional learning framework, giving them identity, confidence, voice and resilience.
The ITA responded positively, and with its hybrid model of resourcing got the GB government, department of education and other relevant departments. It was first ever PLF in GB and ITA’s landmark 80th learning Festival in Pakistan since November 2011. The 70 volunteers from Girl Guides and Boy Scouts from the government schools of Skardu facilitated the PLF from registration to activities in stalls, rooms and auditoriums. Big themes of the festival included as Storytelling, Bookmaking, Digital Citizenship, active Science, Climate Change, Coding and Computing, Living Heritage including numeracy by the State Bank of Pakistan Museum and food security through organic methods in current practice in GB, Performing Arts, Book Launches, Book Fair, Arts and Crafts, live sketching, and Open Mic; there were over 20 stalls with elaborate models made by school children who explained the ideas and their working including fashion design students from the newly introduced matric tech schemes from Skardu government high schools.
The Resource persons of the event were Rumana Husain, RaheelaBaqai, AtifBadar, Baela Jamil, SumairaKausar, Naila Rizvi, Nagis Diana, Tooba Malik, Somair Qureshi, Khalid Azad, Khurshid Khan, InamElahi, Sehrish Farooq, Maria Mahmood, Zainab Zafar, WaqasBajwa and many more remained active throughout in the learning rooms dedicated to the PLF.
These spaces were renamed to celebrate the unique heritage of Baltistan, viz., Kharphocho Fort; Basho Valley; K2; Sadpara Lake; Manthal Buddha; MindoqKhar; Byarsa -Deosai National Park
Above all the festival celebrated the young talent of age 4-5 where Mahnoor Sharif Sadpara the youngest skater and ambassador for winter sports in GB who skated on the stage and inaugural hall freely, was profoundly acknowledged at the inaugural session as was the author Syeda Fatima, age 13, who shared her story about MindoqKhar the Queen of GB, and not to forget the young girl poets at the beautiful mushaira in Balti and Urdu coordinated by the poet teacher, Farman Khayal.
