OPINION: Education and innovation

Waleed Rasheed Kalwar :

Education and innovation are two sides of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other. The subtle interplay between the two can be instantiated from the fact that knowledge develops a peculiar sense of curiosity and ingenuity which enables them to speak up their minds regarding their interior and exterior surroundings. The learning process cultivates in them the trademarks of free discussion and open inquiry which ultimately empower them to think beyond the traditional societal box. In this way, from the engagement of conflicting views arises the novelty of truth. This is how the cycle of education and innovation goes hand in hand. Therefore, investment in the disciplines of STEM education and human resource development is the practical way out for catching up with the zeitgeist of the technologically savvy world.
Keeping the above realities in mind, what have we been doing to improve the state of education in recent years? What provisions have been taken by the government to bring our educational stature in line with international standards, especially in areas of science and information technology? Does anybody at the helm bother to talk about the enrolment of 20 million out-of-school children between the ages of 5-16 years? And, does our society really encourage an innovative mindset and progressive culture of free debate in the youth at schools and universities? How can we reap the rewards of cyber marketing when a large chunk of the population even does not know about such concepts as online freelancing and gig economy? These questions reflect that we are nowhere nearer to the developed world especially our neighbors, China and India, in providing inclusive education to all children for the underfunding in the education sector itself speaks for the average competence level of students let alone entrepreneurial and IT skills.
–Internet.