With exceptions in the private sector, the education system in Pakistan is non-performing and churns out casual, unskilled and ineffective workers who are not capable of contributing to the nation’s search for productivity and competitive advantage in the global village.

The madrassah system gives children a one-dimensional and narrow view of the world based on emotions rather than calm thought and reasoning. It restricts the imagination and thought processes and even listening and speaking abilities.

Our school curriculum is dominated by ideological concerns. Our examination system promotes rote learning which destroys analytical thought. It stops children from asking questions and blocks their natural curiosity which is the first step to learning. It stops them from researching, experimenting and developing the reading habit. Rote learning has become entrenched in our system and we must extricate it by overhauling our assessment and examination systems. In examinations, pupils do well if they reproduce verbatim from their textbooks. Why then should they bother to read, research, experiment and discover?

We need to develop balanced individuals through our education system and encourage and support pupils to think for themselves, clearly and objectively, as well as critically, analytically and creatively. This can be done by providing the young generation with intellectual freedom and guiding and motivating them to learn and seek knowledge on their own through diverse means such as books, newspapers, literature festivals, films, seminars through which they are exposed to diverse points of view and ways of thinking. They can, thus, process this knowledge and form their own opinions rather than depend on received wisdom. They should be able to distinguish and critique what they read and be able to recognise generalisations, assumptions, prejudice and bias. How can we achieve this? We need to encourage reading by enabling children to access books readily and easily.

The best way to develop independent thinking in pupils is to show them how to search for and acquire knowledge not, as is done, through a single textbook, but by giving them access to a wide variety of books and getting them into the habit of reading. We can do this by not just encouraging children to read but setting examples, making books accessible, making the classroom environment a relaxed and exciting place where reading and learning are a pleasure and not a chore. We need to make reading a part of our lives by having a library, however small, at home and spending time reading. We can make reading a wonderful and loving experience for babies by cuddling and holding them in our laps and telling or reading stories to them. When they are a little older, we can move to the next stage of shared reading and finally lead them to become solo and independent readers. Instead of buying toys that break or fancy clothes or shoes, we should buy books for ourselves and our children as birthday presents.

We need to provide our teachers with opportunities to acquire new skills, methodologies and values. Teachers need to learn the psychology of the child so that they learn to see children as equals and respect them as forerunners of the future. They should learn to change their values and not teach but facilitate pupils to learn. They need to draw ideas from successful private sector initiatives and expertise.

Another aspect of pedagogy is the emphasis on supplementary reading. Pedagogy is not solely about teaching the textbook in the classroom. Its aim should be to equip students with a dynamic and independent means of searching for, finding, analysing and profiting from knowledge. Teacher development programmes should emphasise the importance of making sure that students get into the habit of reading. Supplementary reading is also an important and effective way of surmounting the problems of poorly educated teachers, ill-equipped schools and sub-standard textbook boards’ textbooks.

There should be class and school libraries in every school. The library should be a pleasant, bright, cheerful room to which children are attracted and where they enjoy spending time. The role of librarians is critical. They welcome children into libraries, guide them in selecting books and make libraries active places of fun and learning. Reading games and quizzes can be organised so that children associate books with enjoyment and excitement. Making children avid readers is not difficult. It is only a matter of starting early and drawing them to stories by first telling stories and then reading to them as often as possible. The move to the next stage of shared reading with children will bring them closer to books. When they become independent readers, it is important to maintain their interest by making a variety of books available to them. Taking children to bookshops regularly is a wonderful way of enticing them into the world of books. Once children are drawn to books and get a regular supply of them, they will become enthusiastic and devoted readers. Sometimes, they will only be interested in a certain author or subject. That is wonderful and should be encouraged by helping them get access to those. That interest will make them eager readers and their reading habit will become established and stay with them for the rest of their lives. Such a habit will enable them to perform better across the curriculum and later, at every stage of their lives.

In order to promote literacy and reading, a nationwide network of public libraries is needed so that readers are not obliged to buy every book they read and publishers get an assured market for their books. The book industry and the reading habit all over the world survive and develop with the essential support network of a library system. This will provide an ongoing stream of books to readers at little or no cost. We need such a network from Karachi to Khyber.

The writer is the managing director of Lightstone Publishers