DISCOURAGING creativity, it appears, has permeated the entire social fabric.

Despite being part of a world that is moving at a rather fast pace to achieve more and more advancement, we are stifling the creativity of students while they are born to have multiple creative skills.

Apart from our education system, which is based on rote learning, parents are most likely to force their children to opt for subjects that they, the parents,prefer instead of focussing on what the children are inclined to.

I have an experience to share in this regard. In my village, I met a girl, who belongs to Naseerabad district of Balochistan. She is full of talent and is an extraordinary artist who puts life into the lines she draws and the colours her brush spreads to draw exotic paintings. She is a grade VI student and one wonders how creative a child can be at such a young age. It is beyond my capacity to communicate her talent.

Like her, many students are creative and imaginative, and should be allowed, if not encouraged, to pursue their dreams, not the wishes of their parents and family members. It is essentialthat they get appreciatedfor their talent and creativity. Parents must abandon the practice of forcing their children to follow whatever aim they set for them.

Irfan Baloch Naseerabad