KARACHI:
Education paves the way for national development. The education system in First World countries is based on rigorous learning models that focus on critical thinking, understanding and adaptability. Their evaluation system is not merely based on grades, rather on the creativity and individuality of each student. In order to ensure a coherent system of learning, their schools have a uniform standard of education.
The situation in Pakistan is starkly different. We have a poor system of schooling thanks to our obsession with marks. The system of examination in our country is not outdated and only tests the memory of students. As a result, many resort to use of unfair means in order to pass examinations. The current system is not built well enough to effectively evaluate the performance of learners.
Vigilance committees were set up to put an end to the culture of cheating but their efforts have been in vain. This is because when students were stopped from cheating, they retaliated against their instructors.
Here, the question arises: Who is responsible? Obviously, there is no single answer to this question because of the complexity of the situation. Therefore, I urge the concerned officials to prepare a strategy for promoting quality education based on merit. Only by revamping the system can we efficiently eliminate the culture of cheating.
Hifsa Mukhtar
Karachi
Published in The Express Tribune, April 22nd, 2021.
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