From the Desk of Spinchat

Contributed by a Spinchat member Parents are the biggest gift of God to the mankind.  The love parents have for their children is pure, truly unconditional.  They never want anything in return but only respect.  Parents work hard to give the best life to their children.  Being a parent isn't easy, specially being a parent of a girl in our society.  It's a dilemma that people expect so much from a girl's parents specially when a girl gets married. At the time of wedding the parents are under the pressure of giving dowry and expensive gifts to the in-laws. The wedding function has to be perfect, from the decor to the food. The parents of the bride have to show modesty from the most elderly member of the groom's family to the most youngest member. Then comes the next day of the rukhsati, the parents have to send breakfast to the in-laws. If they don't then this becomes a reason of displeasure for the groom's family. Parents have to keep on giving gifts to their ...

By Sameera Wajid A few years ago, I was approached by a friend... She asked me, How old is your son now? 20 months? Does he know his colours, animals and modes of transport yet? I thought she was kidding. she was absolutely serious. Run, Run, Run as fast as you can! Schools pressurize parents to enroll their babies as young as 18 months into play groups. In some schools registration is done while the mother is still on the family way.  This isn’t something new. Over the last 7 years, I have been observing this mad race, as a mother. A race to get the child educated as soon as the schools dictate you to, to get the child ahead of other children as per the school’s expectations, and to proudly announce to the whole world that you are blessed with a gifted child because a school panel decided so. When you have a baby, every month, you will meet family and friends with one critical question, When is your child starting school? All first-time parents in Pakistan fac...

By Sameera Wajid According to Prof. Dr. Gülden Ertugrul, Utopia is a word derived from the Greek Outopia meanings 'Nowhere' and Eutopia meanings 'Someplace Good'. It basically represents an imaginary place where all institutions and the actors in the society are perfect, a place that does not exist, but a place that one dreams of and can visualize as the ideal community, working in perfect harmony, free from all ills, injustices and discrimination. The concept of Utopia also serves as a contrast effect against which we can measure the inefficiencies and short-comings of the existing society and the corruption of the present day institutions. Education is a key tool to realize the ultimate goal of utopia. Life-Long Learners In an ideal world, there will be class difference, no socio-economic discrimination and no gender biases and education will be accessible by all. The learners will be life-long learners, not bounded by the routine school structures and learni...