THE obsession with stereotyped professions, particularly in fields such as medicine and engineering, has reduced education to a relentless race for grades rather than a meaningful journey of learning. Schools prioritise rote memorisation over understanding, conformity over curiosity, and compliance over creativity. As a result, countless students are pressured to abandon theirgenuine interests and talents simply to fit into a rigid educational mould. This silent curse is passed from one generation to the next.

Students who do not conform are made to feel inadequate, while those who comply often do so at the cost of their individuality.

Hidden talents remain buried, unexplored and ultimately lost. The psychological cost of this system is equally damaging. Anxiety, burnout and low self-esteem have become increasingly common among students trapped between societal expectations and personalaspirations.

What schools should provide is not a single, narrowly defined path to success, but guidance that helps students explore multiple possibilities. Effective mentorship, timely career counselling, and an understanding of individual capabilities can help young people discover where they truly belong.

Intelligence is not confined to textbooks and examinations; it flourishes in art, technology, leadership, entrepreneurshipand countless other fields that remain undervalued and overlooked.

If education is to fulfil its true purpose, it must liberate rather than confine. Schools across the country must stop producing replicas and start nurturing thinkers, creators and duly confident individuals.

Shamoon Zafar Peshawar