Back to Home page    Frequently Asked Questions Allow us to Dream  News         You need Acrobat Reader to download these files. or write for a copy                    Starfish Asia 32 Beck Lane Beckenham Kent BR3 4RE UK Telephone +44 (0)20 8402 1914 Email mike@starfishasia.com	RECENT NEWS SEPTEMBER 2011 These brief reports just scratch the surface of what is being achieved in the lives of hundreds of Pakistan's Christian children.       ANNUAL EXAM RESULTS In August the annual results were declared for the Matriculation exams -- the doorway to the future for many students who have worked hard and are now ready to move on to higher achievement.   From schools supported by Starfish Asia, 78 students passed their Matric exams, an increase on last year, with some good A and B grades that promise a bright future for these students.   Starfish Asia will provide small scholarships for outstanding students. Our goal is to equip this generation for the challenges of the future.       Holy Shepherd Grammar School, Karachi    Have you seen the excellent blog of the Holy Shepherd School? Take a look: click here     The Holy Shepherd School has run out of space for alll their students, with a new intake in April this year that brought their numbers to over 600. Two more classrooms were urgently needed.   Building began during the summer break and should be ready for use in September. Now the cry is for funds to buy more classroom furniture -- desks and chairs.                 More desks! More chairs!     This has been the plea from many schools supported by Starfish Asia. The numbers of new students taken into schools in April left more than 1,000 students without a desk to sit at. Floor space was still available.   Thanks to a good response to an appeal made to outr generopus donors in June, several schools have been purchasing furniture or having it specially made.   The Kingdom of Heaven School now has desks and chairs for every student (for the first time in their history).   The Primary School in Sharaqpur whose 100 chidlren have been sitting on the floor since the school opened earlier this year, now all have beautiful new steel desks and benches.   The Gospel School in Bilal Town has been constructing dividers to create four new sseparate classrtooms.   The Morning Star School in Karachi has purchased new desks for their children.           Progress and Development  The Ghauri Wisdom School has gained their affiliation from the Punjab Education Board, which will enable them to register their own students for Government exams. Congratulations! The Gospel School and St.James have also been registered as Middle Schools and St.Peter's in Burj Klan will soon also be registered. This all affirms their determination to raise the standards and provide the best for their children -- and so prepare them for their future.     Foundations for the next generation      Progress has been made on preparation of a Scripture curriculum for private Christian schools in Pakistan. David Diwan, Director of Nirali Kitaben in Lahore, and his staff (photo, right) are overseeing preparation of a course for schools that will equip a generation of Christian children to know their Bibles and to undergird their faith. The first Teachers' Manual for Class 1 is almaost ready in English and translation will soon begin. This should be available by early in 2012. meanwhile work will proceed quickly to Class 2 - 5 Manuals and companion textbooks for the students. Click the logo to view the Nirali Kitaben website:   We know we can't help everyone -- but we have to help some!