The most extraordinary years of learning are between two and seven, when children learn faster than at any other time of life, and with a lasting impact. Two-year-olds have twice as many synapses as adults. After the age of eight, learning slows down.

Most parents assume learning begins when a child starts school. They are less likely to spend time with pre-school children, stimulating their learning and responding to their curiosity. Far too often, parents are happy to keep their children quiet with a game on a phone or sit them before a cartoon channel, without filtering what they are watching.

Many assume watching television makes the brain “switch off”. In fact, MRI scans show it stimulates right brain activity related to our emotions, while reading stimulates our left brain or verbal reasoning. Both are equally, if differently, effective in the learning process and require equal attention to content by caregivers.

The educator Edgar Dales suggests we remember 10 percent of what we read, 20 percent of what is heard, 30 percent what is seen, 50 percent of what we both see and hear, 70 percent of what we say and write and 90 percent of what we do. Children respond well to a wider variety of activities, including music, reading, physical activities, languages and science, as well as emotional intelligence that develops interpersonal skills such as kindness, empathy and teamwork. Enjoying the process of learning in early childhood is more important than performance.

Learning through play or entertainment is as old as human society. Plato said “Do not keep children to their studies by compulsion, but by play.” Tribal elders teach children skills through games and storytelling. Shakespeare’s plays taught Elizabethans history, human psychology and social realities. Bidpai’s and Aesop’s fables and children’s literature teach important life lessons through enjoyable stories. Amir Khusrau’s riddles or paheliyaan, mahaaviray or proverbs, nursery rhymes, board games and jigsaw puzzles teach through entertainment.

The term ‘Edutainment’ was coined in the 1990s by American illustrator Peter Catalanotto, as a tool to educate populations on social issues. It is more focused on learning than ‘infotainment’, which is associated with satirical comedy shows that help people process political news and events.

‘Edutainment’ can take the form of interactive museum displays, National Geographic documentaries, travel shows, educational web channels, animations, films, theatre, educational toys, poetry, books and music lyrics — the range is extensive. Sesame Street develops cognitive skills, Mr Roger’s Neighbourhood emphasised children’s social and emotional needs. Da Vinci Kids makes science and history fun.

The BBC’s Children’s Hour was started on radio in 1922 and on television in 1946. Nickelodeon, the first children’s television channel, was launched in 1979. While the number of children’s cartoons and animations have grown, they are a mixed bag — some like Finding Nemo and Care Bears have humanistic themes, others are criticised for generating aggressive behaviour in children.

Radio Pakistan had very popular children’s programming such as Naunehaal and Tot Batot, featuring Munni Baji for over 30 years. PTV also had children’s programming in its early days. Kasauti was a much-loved family quiz show. Salima and Shoaib Hashmi’s Akkar Bakkar, and Farooq Qaiser’s Uncle Sargam, Maasi Museebatey and Haiga, were great favourites, as was Sohail Rana’s children’s music show, Kaliyon Ki Mala.

Today there is a deafening silence from Pakistan’s media channels with respect to children’s programming, and hardly any children’s literature. In Karachi, the Planetarium and the new Science Museum are the only places for school educational outings; the aquarium established in the 1960s shut down 18 years ago, and the zoo has miserable, depressed animals pacing in tiny cages.

The few other museums are not child friendly. Twenty years have passed since the last of the hugely popular children’s play series was written by Imran Aslam and performed by the Gripps Theatre. When did we stop listening to our children?

When one considers that 35 percent of Pakistan’s population are children, most not even attending school, this neglect is the equivalent of dousing 77 million flames.

Durriya Kazi is a Karachi-based artist.

She may be reached at durriyakazi1918@gmail.com

Published in Dawn, EOS, July 10th, 2022