It is heartening to see artists taking up the charge of bringing about social change by speaking up on tough issues that hinder the progress of a nation. Artists, after all, are capable of reaching a wider audience. One name that remains at the forefront in this regard is of singer-songwriter Shehzad Roy, who seems to have taken the charge of combating social evils and issues that plague the development of our society. After a series of campaigns he launched with the purpose of educating the masses (Chal Parha, Qismat Apney Haath Mein, etc.), the latest challenge taken up by the singer is to put a stop on the culture of rote learning and promote the idea of asking questions.
“Over 90 per cent of questions in the Matric examination are based on rote memorisation! Now is the time to build critical thinking in our students,” the singer recently wrote on Twitter. Titled ‘Sirf Bandhi Hai Kamar’, the video insists on nurturing curiosity in young people and allowing them a chance to raise their voice.
The video takes into account the matric board examination system that requires students to solely rely on role learning.
Talking about the idea behind his new video in a conversation with Instep, Roy shared, “No matter how many educational policies I’ve changed ever since I acquired Fatima Jinnah School, I realized things wouldn’t change unless a difference is brought to the matric board examination system.”
He also shared that he has been working on the video since 2008 and plans on building this campaign so change can be implemented and the system gets better. The main idea is to test students’ analytical skills by changing the way the questions are asked in the examination. “There is nothing wrong with our curriculum, it’s great. There is a need to change the syllabus as well as the course books since the books aren’t thought-provoking,” he elaborated.
Social media activist Hamza Ali Abbasi has joined hands with Roy for this great cause alongside several others who are all praises for the video.
In order to bring a positive change, it is important to join hands for such good causes and promote them. And in that department, Roy leads from the front. His latest is exactly that. Check it out and decide for yourself.