RAWALPINDI: This is with reference to Yaqoob Khan Bangash’s article “Call for a ‘Thinking Pakistan’ (April 30). The writer says that “Our students are taught not to question the teacher or the textbook and to just regurgitate material — no processing and thinking is involved.”
It’s a real dilemma of our education system that teachers at all levels do not encourage students to question. Traditional teachers build up their students’ thinking in such a way that they confine themselves to textbooks only and even there, only to the portions from which questions may be asked during exams. Teachers, especially in the public-sector institutes, do not encourage reading of books and don’t involve students in research work, like encouraging them to go to libraries, consult relevant books and take help from online material.
I have been teaching in a private school for a couple of years. During this time, I found that teaching is all about inculcating the habit of thinking in a student. What the teacher is supposed to do is facilitate this process for the student, and help to bring out his creativity. I have found all my students to be exceptional in one way or the other. Teachers just need to remove the hurdles which don’t let the students flourish in their academic careers.
Each student poses a huge challenge for the teacher, especially at the school level. Things can become a little easy for teachers when parents also show some responsibility and take an interest in inculcating the habit of thinking in their children. One of the biggest challenges for teachers is to make parents realise their responsibilities at home.
Aatif Chaudhry
Published in The Express Tribune, May 3rd, 2013.
