Promotional advertising material showing good exam results is in abundance these days. But Pindiites do not take it as true, as several students could not clear admission tests of higher educational institutes. It indicates they got certificates without proper learning.
“This is really worrying, because if our children end up securing certificates with high marks without learning anything, they will lag behind in competition in practical life,” says Irtaza Rubab.
“Media reports about cheating in exams have set the alarm bell ringing. These reports should wake up the authority from their slumber of false self-satisfaction of a high quality education system currently in place in the country,” says Ismat Zaidi.
“Our education system has been made in a way that it compels every student to run after high numbers that may guarantee success in life. Apparently, such students are successful in a sense, but the nation has failed. And it will keep failing until the education system is reoriented towards real learning, not just certificates,” says Adeel Hussain.
“Students’ reliance on guidebooks has grown out of proportion. Guidebooks engulf the book market. Private tuition by teacher is also not diminishing,” says Musa Raza.
“Teachers cannot finish lessons in the classroom and so they give homework to students. This system is not problematic for those who can purchase additional help from the teacher through private tuition, but it is hard for students of poor families, so they keep struggling throughout their student life,” says Noor Hussain.
“Many publishers contact the school authorities to persuade them through fair and unfair ways to select their books for students. As a result, students are forced to rely on guidebooks in the market for the extra help,” says Fakhar Taqi.
Athar Ali says: “Textbooks are changed in the name of improvement now and then. Neither parents nor teachers can cope with this. When new books reach schools, parents and teachers find themselves in a sea of mess. They can do nothing but rely on guidebooks.”
“Examination system is also altered as often as the books. Teachers are used to teaching in a way that helps students deal with questions in the exam, when the ways of questioning change, the ways of answering must change consequently. Without training, teachers cannot write new type of questions for the exam, and therefore count on guidebooks to prepare question papers and ask students to do the same,” says Zaigham Rizvi.
Naveen Naqvi says: “If it is difficult to increase the number of schools and teachers, to improve teachers’ quality, to make textbooks attractive and easy-to-understand, at least schools can be prohibited to give homework to students, and unnecessary experiments with textbooks and the exam system can be banned.”