KARACHI:
Education should spark curiosity, not suppress it. Ideally, schools ought to be vibrant hubs where children eagerly explore new ideas, read widely and experience the excitement of learning something fresh each day. Sadly, our existing schooling system has become so rigid, exam-centred and joyless that it has turned students away from education instead of drawing them toward it. Instead of cultivating open, inquisitive minds, it has produced anxious, exhausted exam-takers.
One major reason for this failure is the relentless focus on rote memorisation. From the earliest years, children are pushed to cram facts rather than understand concepts, and graded on their ability to reproduce material instead of their capacity to think. Textbooks become symbols of stress rather than windows to wonder. This obsession with marks leaves little room for creativity, questioning or imagination, making learning a chore rather than a delight.
The alienation deepens when children are denied the opportunity to learn in their mother language. Instruction in an unfamiliar language not only creates barriers to understanding but also distances children from the classroom emotionally. Countless studies highlight that children think more clearly, develop concepts better and retain their natural love for learning when taught first in their own language. Unfortunately, our education system continues to ignore this scientific truth. When children are made to read, write, and even dream in a tongue not their own, books begin to look like enemies and education like a punishment.
The lack of passionate teachers and a reading culture further aggravates the problem. Many classrooms have no libraries, no colorful storybooks and no activities that nurture imagination. Teachers, themselves under severe pressure and poorly trained, rarely inspire students to appreciate the beauty of knowledge. In such an environment, asking questions becomes an act of rebellion rather than learning.
To reignite children’s love for learning, we must move beyond rote exams towards understanding, creativity and mother-tongue-based early education. With libraries, storytelling, science clubs and inspired teachers, schools can nurture curiosity and compassion — helping young minds become tomorrow’s critical thinkers, innovators and humane leaders.
Dr Zaid A Pirzada & Dr Intikhab Ulfat
Karachi
