The word innovation stands for adopting new levels of thinking and strategy in the ongoing processes to upgrade the production rate and it should be cost-effective in its method. The present literature about innovation shows us that the good mind people are opting for the act of innovation globally just to gain a comparative advantage in all aspects. Whereas, the fundamental question is how to go by the act of innovation smoothly.
The righteous answer is that “innovation is living in the circles of quality and sound education system”. The modern education system is the prisoner of physical sciences, information technology, lab, and laboratory. The implications of the aforesaid triangle usually end up with innovative thinking. Therefore, innovation and entrepreneurship go into common hands, which also returns to progressive economic growth as well. Although, particular elements are utterly missing in the education sector of developing countries.
However, Pakistan being a developing country is the prime victim of weak innovative skills. Then, ultimately, it becomes necessary that what are the factors responsible for our low innovative skills. The first and foremost cause of all dilemmas is the narrow and hostile culture. In the 21st century, the Pakistani culture is still possessing deep silence and dark obedience in terms of education. Our students and teachers are living in the world of myths, false illusions, and untested beliefs. Our education system is the hostage of the past. Unfortunately, the major emphasis inside a classroom is the about unreal stories of past events. Confusion and confused minds are our main graduates. While innovative thinking purely demands significant cognitive and analytical skills from the students and teachers. On the other hand, our existing education system is biased toward language learning and social subjects, indeed, which have little role in the process of innovation and positive learning.
According to Professor Rahat Ul Ain, University of Management and Technology, “standard learning is the outcome of worth full question, and the question is the genuine soul of knowledge”. The second prominent issue regarding our education system is related to the teaching method. The habit of questioning is hardly encouraged particularly in our day-to-day learnings. However, there is more stress in a plain theoretical mode of learning. Consequently, that never boosts the feature of curiosity of the audiences. Resultantly, it creates a gap and space between a teacher and student. In addition, at the outer concern, analytical skills, modeling, and logic which are the working heart of modern education learning are lacking in our curriculum. It is most perceived among the learners at the higher level that plagiarism and cut and paste are common in the research paper. It is quite unique that the majority of teachers in the public sector educational institutions are pursuing their PhDs to secure a few increments in their salaries instead of quality learning, while official reports also consider it the cause of low-quality education in higher institutions.
Innovation is the product of research and development. Hence, current research is now no more an individual endeavor. Enlightened economies, all over the world, are investing in research projects funded by distinguished industries, financial institutions, and governments. Moreover, there is no such connection between our educational institution and the industry.
In sum, it’s time for change and reorientation of the present dealings. It is the need of the hour to make an ecosystem for research and innovation through well-formulated and all-inclusive policy initiatives. But it can only make possible by promoting a culture of inquiry and critical thinking. The train of innovation only strives for free thinking, inquiry, and reasoning as fuel to reach the objective of advanced economic growth.
The writer is a Public Policy Analyst and Lecturer at BUET, Khuzdar.
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