Education paradox

A NATIONAL summit organised by the National Curriculum Council and the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training should serve as the required catalyst to redefine Pakistan’s educational priorities amid rapidly evolving geopolitical and technological transformations.

The summit’s goals comprised a transition from memorisation to critical thinking, creativity, inquiry and problem-solving, as well as abandoning the outdated Macaulay model. The modernisation of the curriculum includes the introduction of AI, robotics and STEM, placing greater emphasis on implementation and the integration of curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. It advocates cooperative federalism that prioritises interprovincial harmony and collaboration to address the fragmentation that occurred after the 18th Amendment was passed.

Perspectives, priorities and reasoning in our educational initiatives first came into focus at the inaugural educational conference, and then again at the recent national curriculum initiative. Regrettably, we have yet to confront the long-standing issues in our curriculum framework and its execution. These flaws obstruct advancements in creativity and critical thinking. Research has also established that educational practices frequently diverge from certain scientific principles despite the fact that these are embedded in the official curriculum and textbooks. This is seen as a retreat by the teaching staff that is vulnerable to social pressures from conservative sections. In a particular instance of ideological enforcement, the community turned on a schoolteacher, making him a target of acute harassment because he filmed an eight-year-old girl playing cricket, and then posted the video on social media.

This level of rigid attitudes hinders any attempt to encourage critical thinking, creativity, openness, innovation and cooperation among different cultures and faiths. It, therefore, becomes important to remember that the realm of science and technology is governed by a framework that limits reality to what can be empirically proven. An approach that necessitates evidence-based validation is crucial. We should ensure that the instituted framework adheres to practical evaluative standards, and avoids any divergence that creates conflict. Consequently, memory is the primary approach to teaching and evaluation. Sadly, even science is being taught in the same manner as other theoretical disciplines — rote learning, devoid of any experimentation, inquiry and analytical thought.

Rigid attitudes block attempts to encourage critical thinking.

A strategic shift from memory to critical thinking can only occur when learning is grounded in empirical evidence and observed critically, which is a process that an education system based on conservative beliefs often restricts. Implementing a subtle yet essential transition from orthodox investigation will open new avenues for scientific exploration and educational methodologies centred on learning and evaluation. Moreover, curricula and textbooks that emphasise scientific inquiry can significantly inspire and leverage AI, STEM, and other progressive areas of knowledge that are on the rise across the globe. Otherwise as Freire states, education becomes an attempt to control individuals’ thinking and actions, and inhibits their creative powers.

Interprovincial coordination, which is among the summit’s targets, stands out as a factor that fosters a more collaborative and invested approach to educational reforms. It creates the much-needed and long-overdue syner­­gy and commitment to ensure access to education. Co­­ordi­n­ation, however, sho­uld extend beyond various moots so that strategies and methods are implemented with urge­n­­cy. It must also ev­­o­lve into a process of negotiating and un­­derstanding shared interests and priorities while still upholding a commitment to national priorities and interests. A one-day visit and a few hours of meetings with provincial stakeholders cannot be adequately described as a genuine policy dialogue, as such activities have been witnessed often in the recent past.

A policy shift alone is insufficient. An authentic and widespread impact of any educational initiative is only possible when effective and monitored field-level support mechanisms as well as governance structures are in place. It is essential to evaluate and expand the country’s capacity to guarantee the availability of science and computer labs, requisite materials, upgraded teaching methodologies, and assessments. Enhancing teaching methods by empowering educators to become skilled architects of learning experiences, rather than passive recipients without modern information, is equally necessary.

The writer is an educationist.

Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2026

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