It’s time educators and parents recognise the need to radically alter school systems in the country. Even the most ‘prestigious’ O- and A-level schools adopt teaching models that leave little room for real learning. Standardised education will most likely kill your child’s chances of ever reaching his or her potential, in terms of talent, innovation and creativity.
I am the product of the best private schooling Karachi has to offer. I regret to admit, however, that until recently I didn’t think I was good at anything. I envied writers, filmmakers, musicians and other artistes for doing what they love to do and being excited about their work. They enjoyed their work while others endured it. I admired innovative entrepreneurs who had the intellectual tools to create jobs for themselves.
It’s not that I had no talents. I just lacked the confidence to recognise them. Confidence is nourished at home and at school and sadly, my ability to apply myself to alien circumstances was thwarted in school. Looking back, I find many aspects of my primary and secondary schooling oppressive. Teachers shoved ‘lessons’ down our throats every day, without really knowing if we were learning anything. If anyone didn’t understand the chapter on the water table and failed to regurgitate the textbook on paper these student were marked as ‘weak’. This was their self-fulfilling prophecy. They were always bad students. Their only fault was they didn’t relate to the lessons like their classmates and hence, they never regained the motivation to learn. The rigid teaching methodology and O-level curriculum was not equipped to deal with them.
The classroom needs to be emotionally, socially, intellectually and physically engaging. This applies especially to low-income communities.
These classrooms will not only ensure a happier life for your children, they may also lead to better employment opportunities.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 4th, 2014.
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Quite true. I am highly surprised to read a thought provoking article after a very long time on the state of education in Pakistan. You are the result of the best schooling in Karachi, and yet you don't consider yourself to be as creative as other or as talented as other artistes. However, you were made an effort and put words to your thoughts.
Imagine the state of students doing Matriculation & Inter. There are expected rattafy everything single word of their textbook, if they are not able to rattafy they can ask for help from the invigilator. I have observed that student nowadays are asked to turn their off their thinking part of the brains and the expectation with them is to blindly follow instructions on a need to know basis.