THATTA: Academicians and writers highly commended the launch of History of Education in Larkana - Talpur and British Period authored by Dr Ghulam Ali Sangi at a ceremony held here at Makli Gymkhana the other day.

They said the book on the history of education would benefit the new generation in particular as it was an in-depth research on history which would be a source material for those who intended to do doctorate on education.

It was in fact a book version of Dr Sangi’s Ph.D thesis entitled Role of education in sociopolitical and economic conditions of Larkana, Sukkur and Dadu districts during the Talpur and British periods prepared under the guidance of educationist and historian Dr Hameeda Khuhro, former director of Pakistan Study Center, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, in 1981.

It is the end product of no less than five year’s research conducted by the author from 1976 to 1980 and published by the Endowment Fund Trust (EFT).

EFT Secretary Abdul Hameed Akhund, Prof Mukhtiar Samoo, historian Badar Abro, Iqbal Khowaja, Dr Mohammad Ali Manjhi and the author Dr Sangi spoke at great length at the book launch.

The book contains a wealth of statistics on madressahs, maktabs, pathshalas, vidyalas and vernacular schools, the year of their establishment, the teachers and the number of students on rolls etc. The author has presented short biographical sketches of dedicated teachers in the book as a tribute to their services.

EFT Secretary Hameed Akhund informed the audience that the material compiled on history of education would benefit the new generation as it was a research on history which would be a source material for those who intended to do doctorate on education. The book also contains administrative changes in education.

Prof Mukhtiar Samoo said the work by Dr Sangi was an original and genuine outcome of the field of education as well as knowledge.

Badar Abro said that Dr Sangi was a hard working researcher, who not only compiled narrations but also collected relevant record in his work.

Dr Manjhi, a historian and former director general of culture department, said the book was equally important in raisin curtain on socialpolitical aspect of Larkana district and contained facts and figures of almost all madressahs in Talpur era. It was history material full of knowledge, he said.

He said the author was a prolific writer who kept churning out book after book on his research despite being afflicted with cancer in one leg. With no financial issues to cope with, he could easily spend the rest of his life resting and enjoying the available time but he preferred to spend all the time in serving the society through his research.

The author gave credit to EFT for publishing his book on history of education and said that despite enormous problems and meager resources he took up the uphill task of authoring the history of education.

He thanked all those who cooperated and coordinated with him in the preparation of the book as well as the organisers of the book launch ceremony in Thatta, which was well known for its glowing academic past.

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2016