The college also published a regular magazine titled ‘Akhbaar-e-Taaleem’ for over a century from 1902 to 2011.
By Yasir Qazi
Government Training College (for men) Hyderabad is a 168-year-old teacher’s training institute, which owns the honor of being the biggest teacher’s training organization in the province, established in 1854 in Karachi (as a school) and shifted to Hyderabad ten years later in 1864, after 8 years of the Indian Rebellion.
Besides being the largest teacher’s training institute in the province, it also retained the inimitability of publishing a regular magazine, titled “Akhbar-e-Taaleem” (The educational bulletin) dedicated to essays, articles and research regarding education, local and global educational trends, profiles and interviews of the educational icons, office orders of the Sindh Education Department, and much more about the educational arena, from 1902 (or 1908) till 2011 (for more than a century; i.e. 109 years).
This magazine was majorly published in the Sindhi language, having its Urdu as well as English sections, which represented the academic fraternity of Sindh in a true spirit, and was circulated and read among almost all the schools and colleges of the region. Initiated in 1902, by Deewan Tarachand Shauki Ram (the then Principal of the college), the publishing of the magazine was discontinued in 2011, due to unidentified reasons (At least the present management doesn’t know the reasons) and now it is a great misfortune that even the college library has not preserved all the editions of ‘Akhbar-e-Taaleem’ published during 109 years. However major other public research libraries must have preserved most of its editions. The magazine’s first editor was Tarachand Shauki Ram himself, who really made history, but unfortunately, we couldn’t continue it.
The heads of this institute have been endeavoring their best to preserve the history of this historical college. One of the efforts in this regard was made in the recent past when the college’s historical ‘Big Bell’ was preserved sophisticatedly, which used to ring to indicate the completion of the class period in this college. This Bell is installed over a cement panel ornamented with tiles, through a granger near the entrance of the college, below which a stone designates a brief history of ‘the bell’ as well as the college.
The three columned scripts on the stone show the following text on its central column:
The historical big bell
This historical big bell was attained at Training College Hyderabad from London in 1862 and was installed in the current building of the college. This bell was operated (being rung) till 1970. Roshan Ali Panhwar, the then Principal of the college installed this bell at this place on July 15, 2004, to preserve it for the lovers of cultural heritage and the generations to come.
From: Principal, College staff and students
The right column indicates the following text in Sindhi:
Heads of Training College, Hyderabad
- Deewan Choohar Mal Punjabi; Head Master (Karachi) 1854
- Mulaan Mian Mehmood; Head Master (Hyderabad) 1864
- Raees Ghulam Ali; Head Master (1876-1883)
- Deewan Kauro Mal Chandan Mal; Principal (1883-1899)
- Khan Bahadur Nana Ghulam Ali; Principal (1922-1935)
- B. Muhammad Siddiq Memon; Principal (1936-1947)
- Ghulam Hussain Jafri; Inspector Principal (1951-1955)
- Syed Panah Ali Shah; Inspector/ Principal (1970-1971)
- Muhammad Suleman Khaskheli; Inspector Principal (1980-1989)
- Syed Sher Shah Bukhari; Principal (1996-2000)
- Roshan Ali Panhwer; Principal (2002-2004)
(The names of Hafiz Muhammad Sadiq and others are missing who served as Principals of this historic institutions from 1955 to 1970)
Whereas, the left side column of the stone writes, in Sindhi:
The profile of training College Hyderabad
- Normal School was established in Karachi – 1854
- Shifted to Hyderabad – 1864
- The current building was constructed – 1887
- ‘Normal School’ was upgraded to ‘Training College’ – 1887
- ‘Akhbar-e-Taaleem’ was initiated (published) – 1902
- Mosque was constructed – 1908
- Museum was constructed – 1909
- The garden and the Zoo were established – 1934
- Upgraded to Elementary College of Education – 1978
- T. (Computer) Center was originated – 2002
Notification:
Training College for men Hyderabad was declared ‘Protected heritage’ by the Department of Culture, Government of Sindh on October 8, 1997
Geographically standing by the side of ‘Sarfaraz Incline’ in Hyderabad Sindh, Government Elementary College (for Men) extends knowledge to the teachers through the courses of PTC, CT, OT, DTC etc. Its building consists of 6 big classrooms, a demonstration Hall, Library, Science Hall, Teachers’ common room, staff room, offices of the principal and the clerical staff, a garden, mosque, high school and Principal’s residence.
Mr. Abdul Jabbar M. Mughal, a former staff member of the college and a previous PhD scholar, opted to research the history of the college and literary personalities, associated with the college, titled: “The role of Government Training College (for Men) Hyderabad in the promotion of Sindhi Literature” under the supervision of Allama Ghulam Musatafa Qasmi, Noted Scholar of the past; but due to unreported reasons, he couldn’t be awarded a Doctorate degree against the said dissertation. However, a copy of the handwritten 345 pager monograph of the aforementioned research is available in the college library, which needs to be edited professionally and published, so that rest of the world may know about the historical significance of this institute.
Elementary College Hyderabad continues lightening the beacons of acquaintance and training the educators, to flourish the future of the nation. It clutches the pride of being the ‘Mother Institute’ of a number of training establishments (almost all the training institutes) of the province and being one of the historical foundations of the country, but alas! The new generation (and even the current management of the college) is neither aware of the bygone prominence of this inordinate alma mater, nor has the vision to save its glory and reinitiate its unique feature – ‘Akhbar-e-Taaleem’.
The personnel in power should feel the importance of this imperative document, which has remained the envoy of this prodigious academy in the past and can still be, if published fulfilling the contemporary publication criterion.
May the nimbleness of this great institute keep augmenting!
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The author is a freelance radio and TV broadcast and print journalist, poet, prose-writer, researcher, columnist, blogger, translator, media Expert, and author of 12 books in Sindhi. He writes regularly for esteemed English, Urdu and Sindhi papers and websites. He can be reached at djyasirqazi@yahoo.com
