Missing Links in Holistic Learning

 In their seminal work, Paul and Elder define critical thinking as the ability to evaluate, apply, and synthesize information derived from observation, experience, or communication. Their ideas echo Bloom’s Taxonomy, which emphasizes memorization, understanding, application, analysis, synthesis, and creation of knowledge as the ultimate goals of education. These principles underscore the core purpose of education: fostering intellectual growth and problem-solving skills. Unfortunately, in Pakistan, these foundational goals are alarmingly absent at the secondary and intermediate levels of education.

Despite the tireless efforts of students at these levels to earn high marks and secure degrees, critical thinking and analytical skills are glaringly absent from their learning journeys. This deficiency becomes painfully evident when students are thrust into real-life situations that demand problem-solving and critical analysis. The root cause lies in an outdated education system—a relic of the colonial 19th century—designed to produce compliant clerks rather than independent thinkers. There are the complaints from the employers that our graduates can not apply their knowledge to the job requirements and some even cannot produce a few sentences about their acquired skills. The students who are ostensibly high achievers in higher secondary examinations, fail to qualify for admissions to higher professional education because of their miserable performance in the entry tests.   

While elite private schools in Pakistan emphasize critical thinking and problem-solving, aided by modern examination systems that test students’ mental capabilities, public sector institutions lag far behind. In government schools and colleges, exams overwhelmingly assess rote memorization rather than analytical ability. Consequently, students from these institutions often struggle when faced with entry tests for universities or job assessments, even when their degrees boast high marks. In consequent such graduates perform better at the leadership roles. On the other hand, the graduates from public sector educational institutions have to re-learn the same things at their workplaces or need to undergo a different and multiple training sessions. This is the job of the educational institutions that the learners must be equipped with all life skills, job skills, and social skills during their stay at the institution. The absence of such essentials in our education, incapacitates our society also to perform as per requirements of the 21st century high tech and highly competitive world.

This disparity between elite and public-sector education perpetuates inequality, leaving the majority of students ill-equipped to compete on a global stage. At the bachelor's level, the problem persists. Despite curricula that ostensibly aim to teach critical thinking, untrained teachers and outdated teaching methods fail to deliver these skills. As a result, students graduate with vast amounts of theoretical knowledge but lack the ability to analyze, synthesize, and apply it to real-world challenges. In developed countries, education prioritizes analytical and problem-solving skills, preparing students to tackle complex challenges in their academic, professional, and personal lives. Pakistan must adopt a similar approach. As we move deeper into the 21st century, it is imperative to focus on producing graduates who can compete globally and contribute meaningfully to society. And if we still shun from our responsibilities to prepare a useful next generation, as we have done in past, we are going fail miserably at the global scenario.

Reforming Pakistan’s education system requires immediate and comprehensive action on multiple fronts. First, Classrooms must shift from passive learning to active engagement. Practical, task-based education should replace rote memorization, encouraging students to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios. Second, teachers play a pivotal role in transforming education. Comprehensive training programs must equip them with modern teaching methodologies that foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Third, Current exam formats focus excessively on memory recall. Question papers must be redesigned to evaluate students’ understanding, analytical skills, and ability to apply knowledge. This shift will ensure alignment between learning goals and assessment methods. Fourth, Syllabi must be overhauled to reflect the needs of the 21st century. The focus should be on developing skills that enable students to think critically, solve problems, and adapt to an ever-changing world.

Paulo Freire, the renowned philosopher and educator, argued that education should empower students to question and think critically about their surroundings. Without this, education risks producing subservient individuals rather than independent, free-thinking citizens. For Pakistan to thrive, its classrooms must become environments where students are encouraged to analyze, question, and apply their knowledge to real-world issues—whether at the workplace, in sociopolitical spheres, or in everyday life.

The need for educational reform in Pakistan is urgent. Public-sector institutions must prioritize teaching life skills, analytical thinking, and problem-solving abilities to bridge the gap between Pakistani graduates and their global counterparts. Only by addressing these systemic flaws can we produce a generation of graduates who are not only academically accomplished but also capable of meeting the challenges of the modern world. The time to act is now. By investing in education reform, Pakistan can unlock the potential of its youth and pave the way for a brighter, more prosperous future.

Digital Dreams, Jobless Futures?

 The much-celebrated rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is often portrayed as a technological utopia that will revolutionize every aspect of human life. However, history warns us that euphoric technological moments, from the advent of the internet to the promises of the digital economy, have frequently turned into disillusionment when societies were unprepared to absorb change. Unless approached with foresight, AI may follow the same trajectory, particularly in developing societies such as Pakistan. At present, Pakistan is at the entry stage of AI adoption, and the consequences are already visible. Traditional systems in education, healthcare, and employment are being disrupted, yet no sustainable replacement models are being built through modern technology. Unfortunately, many Eastern societies, including Pakistan, have lagged behind in contributing to global scientific innovation. Instead of producing original research, they largely import technologies developed in the West. These technologies are housed, owned, and controlled by developed nations, making dependent countries perpetually vulnerable to external manipulation. 

A major barrier to meaningful progress lies in Pakistan’s education system. The curriculum remains largely theoretical and outdated, emphasizing rote learning rather than practical application. As a result, graduates emerge with degrees but without employable skills. For instance, while universities annually produce thousands of computer science graduates, few are equipped with hands-on expertise in data analytics, machine learning, or robotics. This mismatch has created a paradox: a growing demand for AI-related jobs, but a workforce lacking the competencies to fill them. The risks of AI disruption are not only particularly stark in education, but also in healthcare, and engineering, the backbone of modern societies. AI-powered diagnostic tools, automated teaching systems, and engineering design software are likely to reduce traditional employment opportunities in these fields. Yet Pakistan’s infrastructure, policy frameworks, and institutions are ill-prepared to manage this transition. Worse still, the proliferation of private universities, often degree mills selling qualifications for profit, has produced a deluge of graduates who may demand jobs in AI sectors, precisely at a time when AI itself is automating those very professions. 

To avert this looming crisis, Pakistan requires a two-pronged strategy by building AI professionals and infrastructure and by securing non-AI sectors. Pakistan must train a generation of professionals who can not only use AI but also develop and maintain it. This means producing engineers and scientists capable of building the physical infrastructure (data centers, servers, and energy systems) on which AI depends. Countries such as India and China have already invested heavily in AI research hubs and cloud infrastructures. Pakistan cannot afford to remain a passive consumer of AI technology. 

Even if Pakistan becomes an AI-equipped nation, basic needs such as food security cannot be automated away. Investment in modern agriculture, food processing, and preservation is essential. Countries like Israel have shown how technology-driven agriculture can transform limited resources into food security. Pakistan, with its agrarian base, must adopt similar innovations. At the same time, AI must not be seen merely as an economic opportunity but as a potential tool of neo-colonial control. Without indigenous capability, Pakistan risks becoming digitally colonized, dependent on global corporations for algorithms, cloud storage, and even its national data. To counter this, Pakistan needs locally built data centers, AI research institutions, and training facilities for the next generation of tech workers. 

Most importantly, long-term planning is essential. Policymakers must look at least 50 years ahead. Curriculum design should align with the evolving job market: what skills will be needed in 5 years, 10 years, or 20 years? Without synchronization between higher education and industry demands, unemployment will only worsen. For example, while there is global demand for cybersecurity experts, data scientists, and AI ethicists, Pakistani universities continue to overproduce graduates in outdated fields. A practical short-term solution lies in vocational and technical training. Instead of producing unemployed degree holders, Pakistan should expand one-to-two-year diploma programs in AI-related trades such as robotics maintenance, cloud computing support, and data labeling. Countries like South Korea and Singapore transformed their youth employment by investing in such market-driven technical skills. 

In conclusion, AI is not inherently utopian or dystopian—it is a tool. For Pakistan, it can either become a pathway to empowerment or a nightmare of dependency. If policymakers act decisively—by reforming education, investing in infrastructure, and synchronizing skills with the market—AI can be an opportunity. But if ignored, the current euphoria may collapse into mass unemployment, economic instability, and renewed digital colonization. The choice, and the future, rests on the urgency of today’s reforms.