Articles and letters may be edited for the purposes of clarity and space. They are published in good faith with a view to enlightening all the stakeholders. However, the contents of these writings may not necessarily match the views of the newspaper.
Family engagement and learning
The significance of family engagement in producing positive effects on the learning of children can’t be overlooked.
It is proved through different studies that parents’ involvement with their children at home and at school considerably improves their academic grades.
One such study is “A New Wave of Evidence,” from the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (2002).
This report remains the most comprehensive meta-analysis using 51 studies on parent-engagement-and-student-academic-success.
However, contextually speaking about Sindh, most parents, especially those whose children study in government schools do not remain connected with their children in terms of their learning.
Resultantly, academic performance of such students gets affected. Being a teacher, I have witnessed that in a classroom of +100 students, parents/relatives of only 5-6 children inquire their child’s performance.
What learning output can the uninterested parents expect if they themselves are not ready to spare some time for their children?
The engagement of parents is benefitting in multifaceted ways.
To begin with, their involvement helps in ensuring students’ attendance and boosting their academic output.
One can wonder why students’ attendance of a private school remains high, while in that of a government school, it remains low.
The obvious reason is that parents of students enrolled in private schools accompany their children to and from school themselves while that is not the case of government school students.
Additionally, parents’ involvement boosts a child’s confidence and improves their behaviour, social skills and mental state.
Besides, due to family engagement in schools, teachers’ performance also improves as they tend to satisfy parents.
Moreover, the efficiency of school administration also increases in order to minimize the chances of any complaint by a parent. The need is of increasing the trend of parent engagement in schools especially in public ones.
M ILYAS KALHORO
Larkana
COVID-19 may lead to lung cancer
COVID-19 may increase the risk of developing lung cancer, concluded a study published earlier this year co-authored by Dr Usman Rashid from the Basic Science Research Department of the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre.
It noted that pulmonary infections such as pneumonia and tuberculosis are already known to increase the chances of developing into lung cancer.
As SARS-CoV-2 infects the respiratory tract and leads to similar symptoms, it might trigger similar lung environment that could facilitate growth of tumours.
The study warned that the situation could be especially concerning for covid-19 patients who are already genetically predisposed to developing lung cancer or are exposed to other risk factors.
The study explains that at an advanced covid-19 stage involving respiratory distress, a hyper-activated immune system is observed which could lead to cytokine rush and multiple organ damage.
It has been established previously that acute lung injury or acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by infections can lead to inflammatory response and also predispose patients to develop lung cancer.
ALI represents the most severe outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection but what leads to ALI or ARDS in COVID-19 patients is still unclear. The predominant factor noted in several studies is a patient’s age.
Hence, the authors suggested that recovered covid-19 patients should pay special attention to lung cancer symptoms as there are no initial symptoms but certain common symptoms appear when the disease progresses.
These include a persistent cough lasting even after two or three weeks, chest infections that keep coming back, coughing blood, ache when breathing or coughing, persistent breathlessness, persistent tiredness or lack of energy and loss of appetite or unexplained weight loss.
Patients should immediately seek medical attention in case they feel any symptoms suggestive of cancer.
MARIAM KHAN
Lahore
Human rights
The moral or legal entitlement to have or do something from the time of birth to one’s death is called a right.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted by the United Nations on 10 Dec 1948, in response to “barbarous acts which outraged the conscience of mankind” during WW-II.
Its adoption recognized human rights as the foundation for freedom, justice and peace. Since the proclamation of the UDHR in 1948, human rights have become a widely accepted global norm, encoded in UN documents, regional agreements and many national constitutions.
Nonetheless, the world still fails to fully abide by the provisions in Declaration, and human rights violations continue worldwide.
Magna Carta is the first claimed human rights document by King John of England in June 1215. Fundamental rights include only those which are basic to a normal life whereas human rights are based on the right of life with dignity.
Fundamental rights are guaranteed under a country’s Constitution whereas human rights are recognized at international level i.e. UDHR.
Fundamental rights always prevail, protect and are enforced under the umbrella of the Constitution.
But in spite of all this, the rights of people are violated everywhere in the country and yet no action is taken against them.
INAMUL HAQ
Via email
