LIKE millions of Pakistani students, I, too, often wonder about the state of our education system. Every morning, I squeeze into a crowded bus, my bag heavy with textbooks, heading to college. I chase good grades, hoping they will unlock a brighter future. As I memorise dates and formulas, I am never too sure whether I am learning or just passing exams.
Our education system is a race for marks. Classrooms buzz with notes dictated, not ideas debated. Exams test how well we recall, not how deeply we understand. I have spent hours cramming facts I forget the next day, wondering when I will learn to think for myself. This is just not my story; it is the reality for countless students across Pakistan, where rote learning overshadows curiosity.
Plato believed education should spark wisdom, not just fill the minds. Today, we need that vision more than ever. Why not teach coding alongside poetry, or ethics alongside maths, to prepare us for life, not just tests?
Change is possible. Teachers could encourage questions, not silence them. Projects could replace some exams, letting us explore and create. My bus rides through Karachi’s chaotic streets have taught me resilience and patience; lessons no textbook offers. Education should draw from life, nurturing skills like critical thinking and empathy.
Pakistan’s youth are bursting with dreams. We deserve a system that fuels our potential, not traps us in a cycle of memorisation. Let us demand classrooms where learning means growing, not just passing. The nation’s future depends on it.
SARMAD SULEMAN ABRO
KARACHI
