[ti:Pakistan Honors Youth Who Died Saving Students]
[ar:Jerilyn Watson]
[al:Education Report]
[by:www.21voa.com]
[00:00.00]From VOA Learning English,
[00:01.51]this is the Education Report.
[00:04.70]Pakistani officials have announced plans
[00:08.14]to name a school and a sports center for student
[00:12.83]who stopped a suicide bomber.
[00:15.67]The actions of 15-year-old, Aitzaz Hassan
[00:20.60]saved hundreds of other students in his high school
[00:25.55]earlier this month.
[00:26.89]The school is in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa province.
[00:31.07]The area is home to many Shi'ite Muslims.
[00:35.39]Provincial Governor Shaukatullah Khan
[00:39.01]visited the home of the boy,
[00:40.80]and place flowers at his burial-place.
[00:44.31]The official announced an award of
[00:47.70]about five million rupees,
[00:50.26]or about 47,000 American dollars for the family.
[00:55.91]Governor Khan told VOA that the sacrifice of children
[01:01.47]like Aitzaz Hassan is a cause for national pride,
[01:06.96]and a great honor for his village.
[01:10.26]The Governor said he came to the village
[01:13.16]representing Pakistan's prime minister and president.
[01:17.86]Prime minister Nawaz Sharif had declared earlier
[01:22.84]that the student should be honored
[01:25.05]with the nation's highest award for bravery.
[01:28.64]He proposed the award to president Mamnoon Hussain
[01:33.28]who has the power to approve it.
[01:36.11]The honor reportedly is expected to be presented
[01:40.19]to the boy's family on March 23,
[01:43.79]which is Pakistan's National Day.
[01:47.22]Aitzaz Hassan was a ninth grader at the high school.
[01:51.76]Police said he saw the bomber moving
[01:55.53]toward the school's entrance.
[01:57.63]The attacker was said to be wearing official school clothes,
[02:02.52]but looks suspicious to Aitzaz who tried to stop him.
[02:07.55]That is when a bomb on the attacker's clothing exploded.
[02:12.89]The bomber was killed and Aitzaz died later in a hospital.
[02:19.07]The student's older brother Mujtaba said
[02:23.80]his brother often said he would fight
[02:26.10]if he came face to face with the suicide bomber.
[02:30.38]Mujtaba said he actually did what he said he would.
[02:35.11]Aitzaz's father said his mother was crying,
[02:39.50]but 500 other mothers would be crying,
[02:43.15]have the boy not acted as he did.
[02:46.13]Pakistani education activist Malala Yusafzai
[02:50.72]expressed deep regret about the death of Aitzaz Hassan.
[02:56.07]She spoke from Britain, where she now lives.
[02:59.76]She said "I feel proud that I belong to a country
[03:05.09]where many brave and courageous people like Aitzaz Hasan are born."
[03:11.97]Malala Yusafzai now 16, survived an attempt on her life in 2012.
[03:20.22]Pakistani Taliban gunman carried out the attack
[03:24.59]in the Swat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhawa.
[03:28.68]Malala has gained worldwide attention for her opposition
[03:33.62]to militants and support for the rights of women and girls.
[03:38.63]From Learning English, that's the Education Report.
[03:43.41]For more reports about education,
[03:46.25]go to our website at 51voa.com.
[03:53.77]I'm Jerilyn Watson.
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