Education in Pakistan is currently at a crossroads. It should be a tool for personal growth and societal progress, yet the overwhelming academic pressure placed on students is doing more harm than good. With a heavy focus on grades, homework, and long exam periods, the education system has created an environment where academic success is seen as the only measure of a child’s worth.
Unfortunately, this mindset undermines children’s mental health and development, leaving them poorly prepared to become creative, critical thinkers in an ever-changing world.
The race to secure high grades has become one of the most damaging aspects of Pakistan’s education system. In our current system, anything less than an ‘A’ is often considered a failure. A child who scores a ‘B’ or ‘C’ is seen as incapable of handling their studies, which hurts their self-esteem and limits their potential.
This leads children to equate their value with their grades, rather than focusing on developing their skills and abilities. In contrast, countries like Finland, the UK, and the US view grades like ‘B’ or ‘C’ as perfectly acceptable, with more emphasis on well-rounded development.
These countries focus on fostering critical thinking, creativity, and emotional resilience, rather than simply striving for academic perfection. Finland’s education system, for instance, prioritizes project-based learning and emotional well-being, giving students the space to grow at their own pace. This is something Pakistan can learn from creating a balanced environment that nurtures both academic knowledge and personal growth.
The commercialization of education has only made the situation worse. As the government has struggled to provide affordable and quality education through public schools, the private sector has filled the gap. Unfortunately, this has shifted the focus to profit-driven education, where financial gains often take precedence over the well-being of students.
Private schools charge high fees, assign excessive homework, and create long exam periods all as part of a business strategy to maximize returns for investors and stakeholders. This approach creates an environment where schools are incentivized to increase academic pressure on children, believing that more homework and longer exams lead to better academic results.
Parents often feel they have no choice but to go along with it, believing this is the only way to ensure their children succeed. Sadly, this system does more harm than good. It fosters an environment where children’s mental health is sacrificed for financial gain, and it increases the gap in access to quality education, as high fees make private schooling unaffordable for lower-income families.
Parents, while well-intentioned, often contribute to the pressure. Many request more homework for their children, hoping to keep them busy, unaware of the negative effects this excess workload has on their well-being. They push their children to achieve higher grades, thinking that academic success is the key to future prosperity, but this mindset overlooks the importance of mental health, creativity, and overall development.
In many cases, parents feel they have no alternative but to support the academic strategies imposed by schools, reinforcing the pressure. This has led to a situation where the education system, driven by commercial interests, imposes an undue burden on children, and parents unknowingly contribute to these pressures. In Pakistan, societal expectations also play a significant role. Children are often seen as failures if they don’t meet academic standards, which only intensifies the pressure.
In contrast, many developed countries have adopted a more balanced and holistic approach to education. Finland’s system, for example, gives students more autonomy, focusing on project-based tasks and creative exploration instead of high-stakes exams. In the UK, schools provide a well-rounded curriculum that includes extra-curricular activities to foster creativity, teamwork, and leadership.
The US focuses on personalized learning, encouraging students to take responsibility for their education. These countries recognize that education should nurture a child’s overall development, not just their academic performance. Pakistan could benefit from adopting a more balanced approach, focusing on both academic achievement and personal growth.
While the private sector has filled the gap in Pakistan’s education system, the government still has a vital role to play. It should not only regulate the private sector but also work to improve the public education system. This can be done by creating clear guidelines for curricula that are age-appropriate, manageable, and designed to promote overall well-being.
The government should ensure that exams are realistic, not too lengthy, and that homework is balanced with time for rest and social interaction. The education system should not be driven by profit; it should prioritize the mental, emotional, and intellectual growth of students.
Many public sector schools, once highly regarded, are now almost empty. These schools, often located on large plots of land, something private schools lack, present a unique opportunity. Revitalizing these schools through public-private partnerships could be a solution. It should be made mandatory for large chains of private schools to participate in this scheme.
Their involvement would help improve the quality of education, making it accessible to children from all backgrounds. For those who cannot afford the high fees of private schools, the government should subsidize the costs, ensuring that every child receives the same education and opportunities. This would create a level playing field, where students from all economic backgrounds can benefit equally from the education system.
Another critical aspect of this transformation is the need for mental health support within schools. Students today face tremendous stress, and without proper emotional and psychological support, the negative impacts on their well-being can be long-lasting. Schools must incorporate mental health programmes to help students manage stress and anxiety, ensuring they feel supported and safe throughout their academic journey.
A practical solution could be for the government to introduce a “scorecard system” for schools, evaluating them on factors beyond academic performance. This scorecard could include ratings for extracurricular activities, homework methodology, creativity, and self-development.
Schools that perform well could be allowed to charge a higher fee, while those following similar practices should be regulated to ensure their fees align with the standards of top-rated schools. This would incentivize schools to focus on a more balanced approach, shifting the focus from profit and academic pressure to the well-being and overall development of students.
The time has come for Pakistan’s education system to rethink its priorities. The current focus on high grades, excessive homework, and long exams is not only harming children’s mental health but also stifling their creativity and critical thinking.
To foster a generation of healthy, confident, and capable individuals, we need to move toward an education system that nurtures the whole child intellectually, emotionally, and socially. By drawing inspiration from the holistic models of education in developed countries, we can create a system that prioritizes student well-being and personal growth, not just academic achievement.
This transformation may not be easy, but it is essential. Pakistan’s future depends on its children, and we owe it to them to create an education system that supports their growth, nurtures their talents, and ensures their well-being. It’s time to rethink education not as a business venture, but as a fundamental right for every child.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
The writer is an expert on institutional development, finance and governance
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