How schools kill scientists and what barriers stop lifelong learning in adults?

Children are born scientists, but schools kill the scientists in them. 

The reality is universal, but Pakistani schools are exceptionally bad at killing the curiosity in students.

Look at a child when they go to a zoo; they very curiously observe the movements of animals; they ask a plenty of questions; their eyes roll wide and brighten up with astonishment. By the time they have spent 10 years in schools, the scientist in them is already gone. By the time, they reach college, their learning stops.

Here arise two questions: how to keep alive a scientist in a child and how to keep them on the track of learning for the whole life when they are grown up?

When a child enters a school, they are told to read this, write that, answer this and solve that. In a nutshell, they are 'told' to do the things, instead of driving them to solve the issues. The content being discussed in the school is often unheard of to them. 

In a remote village of Punjab, a child sees cattle, crops, and plants around them. These things never figure in the syllabus. Science should be experimented and not taught in schools. A trained teacher can bring about a visible difference in children’s lives and thoughts.

Now, how to be a life-long learner?

After the college, people entre their career phase. It is their career and instinct that shape their learning behaviour. Lifelong learning has several barriers.  To start with, time and money are two biggest hurdles in the learning process. Of course, the job requires a great deal of time and family and social engagements demand time too. Motivation to learn to explore new horizon plays a key role in the lifelong learning process. Other barriers could be one’s dull job that does not need them to acquire any new skill, lack of access to technology, lack of feedback on one’s learning, lack of clear goals, lack of incentives and so on. Also, there are popular concepts among the masses that education or learning is to secure a secure career. Once one holds a degree to land to them a job, the purpose of the education is over.

How to overcome these barriers is the other logical question.

Once the barriers are identified, one can plan well to negotiate with lifelong learning. Those lacking time will need to manage a portion of time from their daily lives for self-grooming. At least, one spends hours and hours on the mobile phone and in front of the TV. Those complaining of lack of resources may find a plenty of free online courses. Those finding no urge, no motivation to drive them crazy to take up something new may set self-directed goals. If a dull job is a hindrance to one's learning, taking up a research project out of the job data can help them experience new horizons of their workplace.

Right education and right learning have been key to the progress. Every single penny invested in DNA research returned 1,000 times. That is a so safe and secure investment.

Pakistan needs to invest in teacher training, creating a learning and research culture in schools and universities. 

Engaging youths in teaching and using technology in classrooms could be the right steps towards the goal.