Respected Sir/Madam
I am a student of Class VIII at Bahria College Karachi NORE -1, and through your esteemed newspaper, I write to you today with a heavy heart and a questioning mind. At a time when the rest of the world is accelerating toward a future driven by Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Robotics, and Block chain technology, one must ask: where does Pakistan stand?
Our students—who are meant to be the torchbearers of tomorrow—are still buried under outdated textbooks, memorizing definitions they do not understand, solving theoretical equations with no real-world application, and spending hours in classrooms that fail to inspire innovation, curiosity, or critical thinking. The global education landscape is rapidly evolving—but our system is still stuck in reverse gear.
Let us ask the uncomfortable question:
How many students in Pakistan can define Artificial Intelligence? How many have ever written a line of code?
The shocking truth is—very few. Not because they are incapable, but because the system doesn’t allow them to even explore.
Meanwhile, students in our neighboring countries are being trained in programming languages from early grades. They are participating in robotics competitions, building their own startups in high school, and being mentored by institutions that treat them like future leaders—not exam machines.
But here in Pakistan, even the word "Artificial Intelligence" is alien to many students. It is absent from syllabi, from classroom conversations, from the national vision.
What’s even more alarming is the ironic contrast: while our students remain unaware of AI, they are deeply connected to social media in the most dangerous and damaging ways.
Every school, college, and university now has anonymous confession pages on platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook—where students hide behind fake identities to post personal stories, judgments, gossip, hate, and at times, cries for help. What started as a way to “express” has turned into a digital jungle of bullying, addiction, insecurity, and emotional destruction.
How have we allowed platforms designed for global connection to become breeding grounds of comparison, cyberbullying, and digital toxicity?
Students spend hours scrolling, swiping, liking, and seeking validation—yet never pause to explore the power of the internet as a tool of learning, creation, or innovation. Instead of being taught how to code an app, they are taught how to cram an essay. Instead of learning how to build the future, they are learning how to survive the past.
We are not just failing our students—we are failing our nation’s future.
It is time for a national awakening.
I urge the government, the Ministry of Education, school boards, and curriculum designers to immediately take the following steps:
1. Introduce Artificial Intelligence, Coding, and Digital Literacy in the curriculum from middle school level onward.
2. Train teachers to guide students in modern technologies and emerging fields like data analysis, cybersecurity, robotics, and machine learning.
3. Establish national AI and tech clubs in schools and colleges where students can experiment, build, and collaborate.
4. Regulate the use of social media in educational institutions while simultaneously educating students about its mental, emotional, and ethical impact.
5. Launch mentorship programs that connect students to tech professionals, entrepreneurs, and innovators to inspire purposeful engagement with the digital world.
Pakistan is full of bright minds. What they lack is exposure, opportunity, and direction.
We must stop preparing students for a world that no longer exists.
Let’s teach them to think, to create, to question, and to lead.
Let us no longer be spectators in this digital revolution—
Let Pakistan be a builder of the future.
Sincerely,
A deeply concerned student of this generation
Ayesha Almz
Nazimabad, Karachi
0334-4804624
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