16/03/2026
Earlier last month, more than 4000 students, teachers, and visitors congregated at the , a celebration of locally-inspired, interdisciplinary problem-solving and learning. The event featured 350 contestants - students and teachers - from 25 schools presenting fresh, creative ideas and solutions to .
Eager confident schoolchildren showcased their inventive ideas for fun playscapes they wanted to build in their schools, explaining the thought behind each feature to visitors ranging from the Deputy Commissioner to a visiting toddler. Some of the highlights of the Design a Playscape challenge in Badin included:
* A fantastic "Ninja Park" with an obstacle course inspired by Total Wipe-out and Floor is Lava, created by girls from GBHS Agrovel Campus Badin
* A park with tunnel slides, climbing walls, ninja rings, and a pool traverse, designed by a mixed team from GBLSS Nizamani Muhalla Matli
* Desi gym-inspired weightlifting rides, by boys from GBHSS Wali Muhammad Malkani
* A playscape built around the school mango tree, created by girls from GGHS Kapri Mori
A thirst for equity and justice was a theme in another challenge titled . Students were invited to comment on a change they envisioned through a sculpture, with the curious restriction of using only trash and no art supplies to build it. Early marriages, the practice of dowry, lack of access to education for girls and environmental pollution, were featured as things the young students wanted to change. For the challenge, students designed improved versions of rickshaws or bikes such as retractable steps for the elderly and added springs to improve rickshaw suspension for bumpy roads. Passionate teachers were competing too - presenting their recommendations for the challenge.
The district education leadership, championing in schools throughout the year and now having organised their 2nd successive annual , termed the STEAM Muqablo a revolution in the government school system.
"We have spent weeks organising this competition to ensure that both the competitors and the hundreds of visitors actively participate in this celebration of learning and creativity," added Anwar Parabi, District Education Officer - ES&HS Badin who, along with Muhammad Khan Samoon, District Focal Person for STEAM, were the proud hosts of the grand event.
A highlight of the event, specially compared to other districts, was the huge number of visitors, including children from 38 schools. Twenty judges from independent organisations, including the Environment Protection Agency Sindh, Sindh University Laar Campus, Badin, National Motorway, United Energy Pakistan Limited, Turkish Engineering Company, and the Ministry of Climate Change, Govt of Pakistan, evaluated the projects. Visitors left the event truly impressed by the students' thoughtfulness, research and creativity, noting that their teachers must have worked very hard to achieve the quality of their projects.
“The parents of our girl students were not allowing them to travel to this competition, but I personally visited their homes to convince them to send their champion children to participate and look how they are shining” shared Imran Khaskheli, a beaming teacher from Government Boys Lower Secondary School Nizamani Mohalla Matli, proudly supporting his students' sculpture of a trash-collecting robot. Many teachers and Principals shared similar stories, a testament to their commitment to advancing opportunities for their students.
Deputy Commissioner Badin Yasir Bhatti, General Secretary PPP Badin Dr Sajjad Chandio, District Election Commissioner Muhammad Hanif, as well as District Officers from the Information, Sports and Youth Departments attended the event. From SELD, Directorate School Education - ESHS Hyderabad Mumtaz Ali Khahro, Deputy Director Quality Assurance DSE ES&HS Hyderabad and Regional Focal Person STEAM Hyderabad Asma Bhatti, Deputy Directors ES&HS in Admin, Co-Curriculars and P&D Abdullah Mallah, Qurat-ul-ain and Sabahat Memon, DEO Tando Muhammad Khan Raja Nisar, DEO Primary Sanghar Taj Dahri, attended the event, along with other representatives from the district administration and officials from the education department.