The students of yore have become teachers of today. So? You can’t do much about it, can you? However, if you happen to be a student, there is one thing you probably can do: grumble. But while doing so, don’t forget the probability of today’s students (that means you) being teachers of tomorrow!

The problem in either case rests more with the system than individuals. One of the ways in which our education system enables us to treat ourselves with psychological lullabies is by way of bombarding young minds with non-stop clutter related to what great strides our ancestors made in various fields when the rest of the world was living in the dark ages. This could be an important piece of information if conveyed in its proper context, but since it is not, it simply falls in the realm of rote learning.

The system, its managers and its various functionaries, including the teachers, fail to realise the simple fact that all the advances made by Muslim scientists — and, indeed, by others — could come to fruition only because they stayed away from the meaningless rote.

It has been happening for so long and over so many generations of students and teachers that the unfortunate consistency has left the national psyche completely tranquilised with the laurels of Muslim scientists of medieval ages. This naturally takes nothing away from the scientists. What they did was obviously wonderful. But there are enough grounds to question why it all came to a grinding halt. It is only by understanding the reasons behind such a massive downfall that we can ever hope to keep such reasons at bay and move on with dignity and pride.

But students who were good at rote-learning got rewarded by the system and, taking it as foolproof evidence of success, they started expecting the same from their own ‘brilliant’ students and rewarded them for doing the same. This was nothing but an encouragement for all and sundry to take this ill-advised path.

One of the reasons why we are not taken with due seriousness among the comity of nations is our inability to contribute much, if anything, to humanity’s march towards a better tomorrow. Take, for instance, the case of medical research, for it is one of the major areas of global exploration. We have various research journals that carry local output, but all this, practically speaking, relates to the official requirement of a certain number of published research papers before someone gets promoted to the next tier.

The actual worth of these papers can be gauged by (ironically enough) a recent paper in one of those very journals, according to which the most globally cited research originating from Pakistan was quoted 72 times in about 10 years. The corresponding number from India is 610. On the list of top 30 countries contributing citable, quotable research, India ranks 22nd. Also there are countries like Poland and Iran. Pakistan doesn’t make an appearance on the list which is an indication of the quality or research — or lack therof — that is being done at our end.

The scenario is much like the requirements set by the Higher Education Commission for university teachers, which led to an impressive hike in the number of doctorates over the last decade or so. Sadly, a massive majority of these dissertations are just good enough for a PhD allowance, promotions and better job opportunities. This is what they are done for and, as such, represent success for the individual just as was, and is, the case with the rote-learner.

As a result, while we enjoy the bounties of multifarious research that is carried out across the globe, we remain part of the ‘other’ world that has proved itself incapable of making a contribution to the key phenomenon that is taking a long-term view of life on earth and even beyond. For reasons that are not totally incomprehensible, this ‘other’ world is largely considered to be an entity with parasitic tendencies to latch on to the ‘functional’ world for which it has become a sort of excess baggage to carry along.

A bit abrasive though it may sound, it is what it is like in real-life terms. Even worse is the fact that we do not actually deserve to carry this unflattering tag. Pakistanis, for sure, are enterprising people and the country does have the resources, both natural and human, to indulge in meaningful research that will ultimately set quite a few things right. The problem lies with the lack of focus within the national policy-making infrastructure.

Come to think of it, we have nuclear technology which is not available to some of even the most advanced nations. Acquiring it was a long, arduous, uncertain and tricky path, but there was policy-level consistency on the issue and that made it a consistent effort which kept the momentum going regardless of who was running the show at any given point in time. The result: unadulterated, unqualified success.

Away from all the various debates surrounding the issue, there is no denying the fact that it was no ordinary achievement because the nation could become self-reliant in a technology that nobody in the developed world wanted us to have and everybody wanted us not to have.

Isn’t it ironic that the same nation that defied such heavy odds has struggled to put things right in areas where it faces no such constraints? Say, for instance, in health sciences, education, manufacturing technologies and such other areas. Apparently, it does sound paradoxical, but the reason is not hard to fathom: focus and consistency of policy in one area and lack of it in the rest. There can hardly be any ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ on the issue.

All the relevant offices in the country — the federal and provincial education ministers and their ministries, the Higher Education Commission, universities, education boards and so on — have always made the right noises. But they have remained just that: noises. There is a need of a thread that may run through them and convert this clutter into hardcore action and ensure that the pace is sustained in the long run. For this to happen, top-tier policy on education needs to be accorded the same status that was enjoyed by nuclear acquisition. Easier said than done, but rote learning is not taking us anywhere anyway … and it never will. Let’s give ourselves some chance to imitate our lofty ancestors. By not doing that, we are actually standing in our own way.

humair.ishtiaq@gmail.com