AMID a number of issues that hamper the development and modernisation of Pakistan’s educational landscape, rote memorisation tops the list. Instead of preparing digital learners and evolving according to the growing needs, the education system promotes cramming by sticking to the age-old practices and outdated methods of assessment.

Recently, while helping my brother prepare for his Class XII Urdu paper, I got a chance to check the previous papers of the Punjab Textbook Board. To say the least, the review came as a shock. It was appalling that students were asked to write a summary of a certain chapter without being presented with the text to read and think.

This is a sheer example of rote learning that the education system promotes. Instead of harnessing students’ potential and making students avid learners, the system destroys their critical thinking and opinion-based thoughts.

The ‘guides’ of different subjects available in the market at cheap rates impair their capabilities further. The teachers themselves promote such guides instead of polishing students’ ability to think and evaluate.

This rote culture needs to be discouraged at all educational levels. Academic institutions across the country should encourage students’ abilities to critically analyse and evaluate.

It is time the system replaced its obsolete style with modern methods of teaching and assessments to inculcate the love of learning among students.

Ali Javed
Rahim Yar Khan

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2020