A SECOND year student at a university in Lahore ended up dead because he was depressed and having issues with anxiety. He was afraid he didn’t do well in his papers. If only there was someone there to tell him that it didn’t matter, that his mental health was above everything else.

His death is just one example of the kind of pressure parents, teachers and such put on the youth to excel. Many wonder if this happened because the student was faint heartened, could not manage time or if there is something fundamentally wrong with our education system.

In my view, our education system and the way students are assessed and the subsequent race for grades are all to blame.

First, the curricula, I think the material used in different subjects is not at all interesting. The way it is designed is just theoretical with little fun in applying it to real-life situations that challenge students’ minds. Hence it isn’t at all motivating or engaging.

Second, the method of teaching is archaic and, sadly, teachers are unable to satisfy the students’ urge to understand complex constructs. When faced with questions from students, threatening attitudes are enough to silence the questioner.

Third, our assessment system especially at the intermediate level, leaves much to be desired. The system doesn’t challenge a student’s mental faculties. Instead, it tests a student’s memory and encourages rote learning.

The four years in our education chain, that is, years nine, 10, 11 and 12, are critical for laying the foundation of a strong higher education system. Not much effort is being devoted to making these years in the education chain interesting, and inspiring.

Unless, we make all out efforts to engage educationists of outstanding caliber to improve the three areas identified above, I am sorry to say that the stories similar to this student will keep repeating.

Dr Zafar I. Qureshi
Lahore

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2019