We measure math scores, reading levels, and percentiles—but what about imagination?
Instead of fostering problem-solvers, our system rewards good test-takers
By Sarah Gillani
It starts in primary school: filling in bubbles, racing against a ticking clock, and memorizing facts that might show up on “the big exam.” By high school, students aren’t just learning—they’re performing. And somewhere along the way, something vital gets lost.
That something is creativity.
In a system obsessed with numbers, students are being trained to meet standards instead of set them. And it’s not just unfortunate—it’s unsustainable.
In classrooms across Pakistan, teachers like Ms. Farah Khan in Lahore face a tough choice: stick to the curriculum, or nurture creativity. “I used to ask students to write poems or stories,” she says. “But now, every free period becomes test prep.” Her Grade 9 class once made documentaries and built mini-projects on historical events. Now? It’s all multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blanks—because that’s what “matters.”
“I had a student who loved art,” she adds. “He told me, ‘Miss, drawing doesn’t help me pass.’ That broke my heart.”
Standardized tests reward right answers, not original ones. Students who think differently, solve problems in unconventional ways, or ask “why?” instead of “what?” often get left behind.
Take 15-year-old Ayan from Rawalpindi. He built a working model of a smart irrigation system for a school science fair. But when board exams came around? “He scored just average in science,” his teacher shared, “because the test didn’t ask about real-world solutions. It asked about definitions.”
Neuroscience supports what teachers already know: creative thinking requires time, exploration, and autonomy—not pressure, time limits, and rote memorization. “High-stakes testing activates fear centers in the brain,” explains education researcher Dr. Zainab Haider. “When that happens, creative and critical thinking actually shut down.”
Instead of fostering problem-solvers, our system rewards good test-takers.
In Finland—often ranked among the best education systems—standardized testing is rare until the very end of high school. Instead, schools prioritize project-based learning, collaboration, and curiosity. “Students aren’t memorizing—they’re exploring,” says Sanna Lehtinen, a Finnish principal. “We want thinkers, not robots.”
If they can rethink testing—why can’t we?
Ask students how testing affects them, and you’ll get brutally honest answers:
“I feel like my intelligence is just my grades now.” — Hiba, 16, Karachi
“I used to write poetry. Now I memorize essays someone else wrote.” — Daniyal, 17, Lahore
“I’m scared to be wrong, even when I have a good idea.” — Sana, 14, Islamabad
These aren’t signs of laziness. They’re cries for the freedom to think.
Imagine a classroom where students design their own science experiments, build apps to solve local issues, or stage theatre plays about historical events. Where tests don’t just ask for facts—but challenge students to connect ideas, defend opinions, and imagine possibilities.
That’s not a fantasy. It’s the education system we could build—if we stop letting tests limit our definition of learning.
Not every child will grow up to be a mathematician, a doctor, or an engineer. But every child will need to think creatively, adapt quickly, and solve problems the world hasn’t seen yet.
Standardized tests don’t prepare them for that world. They prepare them for yesterdays.
So maybe the question isn’t how students are scoring. Maybe it’s: what are they losing along the way?
Because if we keep teaching kids to color inside the lines, we shouldn’t be surprised when they stop drawing altogether.
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Sarah Gillani is a Bachelors student at the department of Mass Communication, University of Karachi.
