The government has decided to open educational institutions across the country from February 1st

ISLAMABAD:

The NCOC endorsed the decision to open educational institutions in the second phase.

An important meeting of the NCOC was held under the chairmanship of Federal Minister Asad Umar in which the second phase of opening of educational institutions was discussed after which the decision of the NCOC to open educational institutions in the second phase was ratified.

According to the NCOC, universities, primary and middle classes across the country will be open from February 1^st , while 50-50% of students in all educational institutions in Karachi, Hyderabad, Lahore and Peshawar will be able to attend classes.

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Introducing the Google App to get kids into the habit of reading

Google, the world's largest search engine, has introduced an app to help children develop reading habits and become proficient in reading.

Children usually get tired of reading very quickly, so it is very important to inculcate the habit of reading in children from an early age. Google, the uncrowned king of the Internet world, also realized this need and introduced a new application "Read Along" to make the current lockdown useful for students.

Corona virus worldwide lockdown continues, educational institutions are closed and students are confined to the home, so the use of the Internet has increased, so Google has introduced this app to attract children to study.

The special thing about this app is that it also helps children in other countries to learn English. In India, the app was introduced as Bolo, but after Hindi and English, it is now available in nine languages, including Urdu.

Initially introduced for children between the ages of 5 and 12, the app also includes a device that not only repeats children's readings but also spells correctly.

Another feature of this app, which is useful in 180 countries around the world, is that it can be used offline after installation. In this way, children can not only learn English during the lockdown game but also increase their 'reading skills'.

بچوں میں مطالعے کی عادت ڈالنے کیلیے گوگل ایپ متعارف

انٹرنیٹ کی دنیا کے سب سے بڑے سرچ انجن گوگل نے بچوں میں مطالعے کی عادت کو پروان چڑھانے اور پڑھنے میں مہارت حاصل کرنے کے لیے ایک ایپ متعارف کرائی ہے۔

بچے عمومی طور پر مطالعے سے جلد ہی اکتا جاتے ہیں ایسے میں بہت ضروری ہے کہ کم عمری سے ہی بچوں میں مطالعے کی عادت پیدا کی جائے۔ اس ضرورت کو انٹرنیٹ کی دنیا کے بے تاج بادشاہ گوگل نے بھی محسوس کیا اور موجودہ لاک ڈاؤن کو طلبا کے لیے مفید بنانے کے لیے ایک نئی ایپلی کیشن ’’ Read Along‘‘ متعارف کرادی۔

دنیا بھر میں کورونا وائرس کے باعث لاک ڈاؤن جاری ہے، تعلیمی ادارے بند ہیں اور طلبا گھر تک محدود ہوگئے ہیں ایسے میں انٹرنیٹ کا استعمال بڑھ گیا ہے اس لیے گوگل نے بچوں کو مطالعے کی جانب راغب کرنے کے لیے یہ ایپ متعارف کرائی ہے۔

اس ایپ کی خاص بات یہ ہے کہ دوسرے ممالک کے بچوں کو انگریزی زبان سکھانے میں بھی مدد دیتی ہے۔ بھارت میں یہ ایپ بولو کے نام سے متعارف کرائی گئی تھی تاہم ہندی اور انگریزی کے بعد اب یہ نو زبانوں میں دستیاب ہے جس میں اردو بھی شامل ہے۔

ابتدائی طور پر اس ایپ کو 5 سال سے 12 سال کے بچوں کے لیے پیش کیا گیا ہے، اس میں ایک ایسی ڈیوائس بھی موجود ہے جو بچوں کے پڑھے گئے اقتباسات کو نہ صرف دہراتی ہے بلکہ ہجے بھی درست کرکے بتاتی ہے۔

دنیا بھر میں 180 ممالک میں کار آمد اس ایپ کی ایک اور خاص بات یہ ہے کہ اسے انسٹال کرنے کے بعد آف لائن بھی استعمال کی جاسکتا ہے۔ اس طرح بچے لاک ڈاؤن کے دوران کھیل ہی کھیل میں نہ صرف انگریزی زبان سیکھ سکتے ہیں بلکہ اپنی ’ریڈنگ اسکلز‘ میں بھی اضافہ کرسکتے ہیں۔

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Pakistani Woman Breaks the Traditional

Pakistani woman breaks the traditional boundaries (Source: Dw de)

Meerzadi is a 24 year old woman from Pakistan. I call her on her phone while she is at her home in Moak Sharif, a small village in Sindh, Pakistan. She happily greets me on the phone. There’s enthusiasm and energy in her voice. Meerzadi comes from a poor family in Sindh. Her motivation to break the shackles of poverty forced her to follow a way of life that is not so common among women in her area.Meerzadi is the sole bread earner of her family. She supports her old parents, her sister with her three kids who is also living with her after she separated from her husband and her two brothers, one of whom is suffering from Hepatitis C. Meerzadi’s enterprising character was noticed by the Heritage foundation one day when she accompanied her brother to a workshop that had been organized by them. At the workshop she quickly learned how to make environment-friendly stoves and impressed the staff.

The organizers began giving her new orders for stoves for people from nearby villages. Meerzadi started making these stoves by charging only 100 Pakistani Rupees or one dollar for one stove. Meerzadi however found it difficult to deliver stoves to faraway villages. Impressed by her enthusiasm, the Heritage Foundation gave her a rickshaw as a gift.

Naeem Shah, the project manager of the Heritage Foundation who has closely worked with Meerzadi says, “Whatever task we had given her she completed it. She proved that she is capable. When we asked her whether she could drive a rickshaw, she was confident that she could.”

Meerzadi is now a rickshaw owner and drives it in one of the most conservative provinces in Pakistan. She is now able to reach several villages quickly to make stoves and she also trains other women. There are people of different faiths living here says Naeem Shah, “There are Muslims, Hindus, Kolis and people of other faiths but just like a doctor she doesn’t care as to who needs her services. She just goes and help them.”

While travelling she also transports passengers and earns a little extra money, “My family members and some relatives were against me driving the rickshaw, but when I started earning money they stopped criticising me,” she says. Making stoves and driving the rickshaw is not the only work she does, Meerzadi is the proud owner of a small grocery store at her house where she and her older sister sell sweets for children. To run her business and work effectively, she needs to be good at arithmetic. Meerzadi does not allow any weakness to come her way and that’s why she has enrolled for basic English and arithmetic classes at the Heritage Foundation.

When I asked Meerzadi how men treated her, she responded by saying that no one objects to what she is doing. “People around me are happy and proud of me. I feel comfortable going to people’s homes.” According to Naeem Shah, “People are more comfortable with a woman coming to their homes for making the stoves. She is also very quick at her job.” Meerzadi wants other women to follow her path,” When I see poor women, I tell them that they should learn some skills, at least learn to make stoves from me so that they can start earning some money”.
 
Her sudden fame in the area she lives and her confidence has attracted some male members of the community who want to marry her but ambitious Meerzadi is in no mood to marry. “I have seen my sister. Her husband left her, I don’t want to marry, I am happy with the life I am living”. She says. 

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