In Pakistan, it is mostly displayed in newspapers and on big boards in every city that topper students received very high marks. And when we see merit lists, they start from 95 percent and close at around 87 percent. In big institutions, it is also mentioned that students below 85 percent of marks can’t apply. There are chances that students with a low percentage can get admission in social sciences but can’t take admission in science subjects. My question is, if society is producing children with 90 percent or above percentage every year, will it be able to produce Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, etc.? We spend our lives in school with this complex that our peers with above 90 percent marks landed from the sky. They have qualities that we don’t have. But have you ever noticed why these students are unable to become entrepreneurs or scientists and don’t do any remarkable work in social sciences? In the practical world, why do they all disappear?
The reason behind it is that our school systems are based on the “test of memory.” You have to learn something as it is and copy it in an exam to get a higher percentage. The creation of critical thinking, out-of-the-box thinking, and creative minds is prohibited in our schools because the authority of teachers will be in danger due to questions they would be unable to answer. Teachers often discourage students from questioning beyond the syllabus. There is no encouragement for critical thinking in our society.
When a child is born, he/she has many questions in his mind, but we already answer those questions and tell him/her that this is your track, and you have to follow it. You have to achieve only a high percentage and go to UET, LUMS, and QAU etc. We don’t allow our children to explore the world by themselves. Our parents think that if our children are reading a book, they are doing excellent work, but our parents don’t focus on whether their children are passionate about it or not.
When you ask most of the youth about what they want to do in their lives, they answer CSS. Their only aim is to come in the top twenty positions in CSS and go into foreign services. There is something beyond doctors, engineers, and CSS officers. Come out of this box, think critically, and explore your skills. If you don’t do this soon, the class will produce individuals who will be unable to be employed. How to develop critical thinking in yourself? Stay tuned for this question.
