Shehzad Roy: Zindagi Trust, The Revolution In Pakistani Education

Sitaron Se Aage Jahaan Aur Bhi Hain, Abhi Ishq Ke Imtihan Aur Bhi Hain (Beyond the stars are even more worlds, There are still even more tests of passion) – Allama Iqbal

Musician, social worker, activist, philanthropist? Shehzad Roy refuses to be captured in a single definition, because he is all this and more.

The man who gave us Mukhra, Saali, and more, moved on to Laga Rahe and a string of songs that blended social commentary with humour, a Shehzad Roy hallmark that has stayed over the years. But it was his venture into turning around the education sector in a country where citizens had given up on the local curriculum and school facilities, where teaching was considered a “non profession’ and handing out corporal punishment, a teacher’s entitlement, that made me follow his journey for over a decade.

Zindagi Trust and its sister concern Durbeen are the brainchild of a person who passionately believes in transforming government education in Pakistan.

I was intrigued.

So let’s dive right into the conversation. Shehzad Roy takes my questions.

1. Is Shehzad Roy a PR guy, a musician or a social worker? And how did this leap from singing to education to population planning happen? The connection?

Shehzad: Responds with a smile, “What-am-I, you have asked.” Yes, nod I. The question philosophers over the years haven’t quite figured out!

“I am basically a musician, an influencer. I think I believe in change. And I am a guitarist, a musician, but I have got many opportunities through that music to impact the system. So I tried to use my music for those things, to trigger a social re-engineering process. Because music can be a part of a greater movement, but it doesn’t create movement. So I have got both the opportunities. I have got the opportunity to create movement and I am using music as an integral part of it. So both are complementing each other.”

And with that answer, if you ever met somebody who had it all figured out, I’d say, Shehzad deserves a high number on the cards.

2. What makes someone take on social causes, education, challenge local laws and make it a life mission in Pakistan, yet not attempt to be part of the political playing field?

Shehzad Roy: I think there are two types of changes that create an impact. One is scientific intervention and the other is political intervention. So, what I am doing now is not only scientific intervention, but we are also replicating it, and converting it into political intervention. I am not doing the politics that is done by taking votes, but what we are doing is hardcore politics here. Because our work is not only charity, we are reforming the education system. And we have achieved a lot of success in this, we have changed major policies.

But then, he changes track to agree that, “it is absolutely right that change comes only from politics.”

“That is why” he continues, “We work with the government, that is why we, though we don’t take any money from the government, but we push them through the politicians, with love and affection, we fight with them and make them change things.” Shehzad seems to be the diplomat and PR person rolled into one here.

But then again, I like it that he does not dismiss the political angle as he elaborates.

“But change comes only from, end of the day politics. If I would have been doing politics, I would have to listen to any leader, I would have to do politics for any party. And unnecessarily, I would have to defend their wrong and right things. So, that time is not there. I thought that I had so much power through music or through my name that I could create an impact. And then our work multiplied that power.”

Shehzad continues with a ‘never say never’ approach though: “So, I have not yet felt that I will not be able to change without politics. I am only talking about education. If I wanted to change the whole system, then yes, I am creating more impact than any minister or politician. Because their hands are tied.”

That is true for sure. Every one has their limitations and at present, the power in being free is forging change in the form of two schools in Karachi adopted by Zindagi Trust. Both schools are a shining example of how change is possible, one has to just keep at it.

From taking on rundown, derelict buildings to building new walls, a music room, chess room, Art classes and student councillors to facilitate students’ mental health, Shehzad Roy’s Zindagi Trust is offering holistic education delivered by trained teachers who receive a 4 year B Ed. Degree from its sister concern Durbeen.pk. Such is the link between the two entities that the organization ensures teachers receive the same salary as the starting level for a bank employee at a public concern. And that’s how teaching can create value as a career path for Pakistanis all over the nation.

From this, we move on to corporal punishment. Shehzad had carried out extensive research behind the mindsets that shaped the belief that hitting a child will help him improve, learn better, work harder and become a better, more obedient student. To debunk that belief, so entrenched in our Pakistani mindset, is like attempting to turn back the clock, “Back to the Future” like, and simply, achieve the impossible!

On his efforts to outlaw corporal punishment, I had this to ask him.

3. Hitting children in school, physical abuse, on paper, your petition says the teacher can be punished, but we still mainly rely on private individuals to shoot videos and produce evidence. How can we change the mindset of the teacher, or educationists who are a product of this system?

Shehzad Roy: “When a child is born in our family, his parents beat him up. When he goes to school, his teacher beats him up. When he goes to the society, his SHO beats him up. He thinks that whenever he has to do something wrong, he gets beaten up. He thinks that his parents beat him up because he was doing something wrong. His teacher beat him up because he was doing something wrong. He was caught because he was doing something wrong. Many successful people today say that if their parents had not beaten them in childhood, they would have been in the wrong friends, they would never have achieved success in life. And then, when teachers who hit students get caught, they say, we hit him in good faith, he died by mistake, he lost his eye by mistake, but we hit him in good faith. So, now when someone’s video gets shot, and when he gets caught, he doesn’t have the law to escape that, he’ll get caught.”

Shehzad continues his thoughts on the challenges of ruling out corporal punishment in a society that might have outlawed it in courts but it still resides within the mindsets of private individuals.

“You’re right” he opines. “The mindset hasn’t changed. It will still take a lot of time to change the mindset, I think another 10, 15 years, but through law and through videos and multiple interventions, the mindset changes.”

4. The police helpline concept. Many parents think it is a very western concept?

Shehzad Roy: “The issue is that it is a religious angle because it is a matter of respect for parents. And it is also a part of our culture. But it is very important to tell parents that the harm of hitting is more and the benefit is less. I have accepted that my friends too who are parents, they say that it is a bad thing to beat people, and I tell them calmly that, you beat them yourselves sometimes. They know that it is bad, and they accept it as a wrong in society, but they do it themselves. So, this is also a problem.”

As Shehzad says, it will take time, but the petition is a step in the right direction, next comes raising awareness and then, action!

5. Government schools vs Zindagi schools?

Shehzad Roy: “Zindagi Trust and government schools are not two different entities. Our concept in 2006 was that we must fix government schools. Private NGOS have to help fix government schools and train government teachers which is why we have brought a teaching license through Durbeen.pk. Till government schools are not fixed, …” his voice trails off, and then he recollects the vision that guided him. “Take a look at the modern world, there are just a few private schools, mostly there are government schools. So, I think, the government schools have to be really good. And then very few private schools survive.”

Wow, that would be a dream for the children of Pakistan, I think to myself, a dream that Zindagi Trust is helping resuscitate, one school at a time.

6. On teacher training program at Durbeen?

When we did the teachers training in the government schools, we realized that teachers are a big issue. Even the best private schools do not have teachers. 90% of the teachers in private schools are not qualified to teach. So, we wrote this B.Ed. program. This is a 4 year degree program. There are 150 teachers training colleges in Pakistan, and 30 in Sindh. We did one turnaround in this, which was done by Durbeen. The first batch has passed out and is already posted in Fatima Jinnah and Khatoon e Pakistan schools of Zindagi Trust.

“The teaching license is a unique concept to Pakistan. The government of Sindh has introduced this license and we all played a pivotal role in making this happen. An exam has been held and 400 teachers have qualified in Pakistan for the first time, just like doctors and engineers need a license, teachers also require a license to teach. They work towards the brain development of our children.”

Shehzad went on to explain proudly, and passionately, that 83% teachers at Durbeen have a license now and the first batch, that passed out in 2023 is posted in Zindagi Trust schools. “Teaching license is something parents will demand in schools going forward, to check out the quality of the teaching program. This is how it will mark a change in our education system.” He rounded off.

7. What makes Shehzad Roys in this nation? Why such a dire need to help the and save our children?

Shehzad Roy: “Obviously, I have seen our parents helping people a lot. And it is very much in our culture and religion.” Responded Shehzad. Then he went on to explain: “But I think the class difference, people say what is history? I say history is just class struggle. And people say history is a study of the past. I say it is a study of change. So you will see that the class struggle that I have always had, I got the opportunity to read it in my early age. So I think the concept of egalitarian society, of equality, this was the biggest reason why I came to this field. Because education can provide you with equal opportunity.”

8. The oath taking at the Durbeen first graduating class of 2023. You emphasized that young girls should go towards this profession, what about young boys. If Durbeen is offering good starting wages in government schools, then why not have more men in the field too?

Shehzad Roy: “Teachers create all other professions.” And that rounded up the argument for me.

But Shehzad continued. “Durbeen, four years ago, this was the first public-private partnership in higher education. This is the only public-private partnership in Pakistan in which we have not taken any money from the government. And we have raised all of it ourselves. Durbeen has turned around Hussainabad Teacher’s Training College. But the teacher creates every other profession. So when we started this, we turned around Hussainabad, and now as I said, the first batch has been posted.” A huge milestone indeed, I imagined, in a country where teacher training is a new phenomenon.

Shehzad continues: “So this, fortunately or unfortunately, whatever you say, this was a teacher’s training college for girls. I would love to have had boys too. But this is a scientifically proven fact that in a small class, because our institution trains teachers for elementary schools from 1 to 8, so in early childhood, it is better to teach only women, but later on, men also have to come into the workforce.”

9. This is an online comment that I would like you to address:

Mr. Shehzad Roy, we have also taken the oath that we as a Muslim never ever disobey Allah’s orders ! Music is prohibited in Islam, you have spent your life doing music and even now you are detracking our children from the path of Islam by teaching them music… ?! Pehlay apna ahed poora kernay ki fikar honi chahiay baad mai doosron ko naseehat kerna banta hai”

Shehzad Roy: “I will use the word scientifically proven in the world again.” Responds Shehzad instantly.

“When a small child plays the drum, one hand moves separately, the other hand moves separately, one leg moves separately, the other leg moves separately. In our school, the motor skills of children have developed. Children who have a little attention problem, they are unable to focus, the amazing music has developed their sense. So it is not possible that something that is enhancing children so much is not allowed, I do not agree with this at all.”

And that settles the debate.

And now for all those who seek to find ways to contribute?

10. How are you managing to raise funds for the teacher training program that is free. And also ensure government schools pay them the same salary as a starting salary for bankers?

Shehzad Roy: “We have established a chapter in America headed by Mumtaz Mir. London, we have our chapter. But America is more active. In Pakistan, we have a lot of corporate donors who help us. But we try not to take any government money. Obviously, through Facebook, Instagram, our stories. And the level of policy making we have done, it is a goodwill.

11. Your program to make an online program NCMNH reproductive health online course compulsory for newly married couples is a tough one to get through legislation. Kitni lobbying karni parhti hai?

Shehzad Roy: “I have a lot of understanding because we have done a lot of law-making in this country and tried to exercize influence and bring about better laws. I was a Population Planning ambassador for the UN. Because of this, I got an opportunity to develop a platform through NCMNH where couples can do an online health reproductive course where mother’s health, child spacing, contraceptives, all these things can be discussed, about contraceptives.”

“Did you know”, continued Shehzad, “that 30% of marriages, 30% of couples want to use contraceptives, but because of unavailability, or unaffordability, they are not able to use it, although they want to, so this population can be impacted”.

12. The Shehzad Roy who sang Saali and the Shehzad Roy who’s pushing teacher training and child protection in schools, how do the two connect to each other?

Just me trying to get him to do a concert, or me pushing the limits to his already crowded existence?

And Shehzad responds: “I have made many songs, Kangna, Mukhra, many songs. But my thinking was always political. When I got the opportunity to reform education, I kept making songs, Laga Rahe banaya, I wrote it myself, I was inspired, then in Balochistan I sung Wajah. So I think love songs, social reforms songs, all of these are a part of a person. Anger, love, compassion, mercy, mercilessness, everything. So that which is in every person, is in me too. And it reflects in the song. So I don’t see it like that, that I will make a romantic song again. My upcoming film Alif Noon has a lot of romance and it is a satire too.”

13. Teacher training for middle schools?

Shehzad Roy: “We want to introduce LSB, Life School Based Education Learning, so that the mental health of the students, in that our school has counsellors, we have brought the concept that there should be counsellors in the school. In B. Ed, proper psychology is taught to the students, so all these things are covered, the whole landscape of the school is important, in which the students, the holistic learning that you talk about.”

14. Exercise, Sports, leisure extra-curricular outside school hours?

Shehzad Roy: “We don’t do anything extra curricular. Everything is part of curriculum. So it’s co-curricular, whether it’s sports, chess, arts, music, everything is part of the report card also.”

15. On the music and art program at the school. The age they start and where can it take them. Do you have ustaads, mentors who will help those who want to pursue it further and how do you respond to parents saying the child will lose focus on his studies if he wants to become a musician. Also, how has it helped the overall environment, motivation in school Please give us a real life/case example from the diaries of a student.

Shehzad Roy: “I have already told you how much music and art play a part in this. Chess improves the three digit numbers of children. We have seen all this. Parents definitely, I did government school in 2006 and started music in 2019. Obviously, because we wanted to have such goodwill that when parents come to us, they know that whatever we are doing, it will be for the well-being of the children. And this whole program is led by Imran Ali. Nisha does vocal training with him, Imran is one of the best producers, if you google Imran Ali you will see, he has made amazing songs, done a lot of jingles, but his entire focus is on music because he wants, now, what he has learnt, what he knows, now in music, violin, guitar, drums, keyboard, piano, to teach all these things.”

16. Where do you go from here. Alif Noon, Anwar Maqsood or Faisal Qureshi? What is the message/s you plan to push if any?

Shehzad Roy: “Anwar Maqsood has written only one film and that’s for me, and I have it with me. And, apart from that, we have also done Alif Noon, which is very close to my heart. Because the way I do music, the way I work, there is satire in it, there are political interventions in it. Waiting for that movie. You will see everything in it, entertainment and satire.

And it is my dream that if you step out in Karachi in a few years, just the way these two schools have been turned around, you won’t have to look for such schools, every corner of the city, a Fatima Jinnah or Khatoon e Pakistan government school will be visible.

So, we should make all government schools in Karachi on the same plan. This is my plan for the next 2-3 years. I hope. Let’s see if it sees the light of day.”

And if I were to give you any final words to round off this conversation, I might not be able to do justice to what Shehzad has stated in his own words, on the occasion of 23rd March 2024, not too long ago:

“I don’t have a bank account or any nationality outside of Pakistan, and this doesn’t imply that those who do are any less patriotic. However, I have deliberately burned all my bridges and will work relentlessly until every child in this country gets an equal opportunity to think critically at school. This is what I call freedom, “freedom of speech ” and freedom after speech” – Shehzad Roy