When Pakistan Forgot Its Basics, A Painful Look at Our General Knowledge Crisis

A heartbreaking look at Pakistan’s education crisis reveals declining general knowledge among students and teachers, highlighting the urgent need for reforms, critical thinking, and stronger foundations in learning.

By Imran Malik

On Sunday, while switching TV channels in search of a sports program, I stopped at Lahore News, and what I saw left me deeply disturbed.

A female anchor was standing inside Race Course, also known as Jillani Park, asking simple general knowledge questions to park visitors. Most of them were school students, some with their teachers. The segment seemed light and casual, but it quickly turned into a heartbreaking reality check.

The first question was very basic: Who invented the telephone?

No one answered.

The second question was just as simple: Which province is the largest in Pakistan by area?

Again, there was confusion and silence.

Not a single student could answer either question. What was even more worrying was that a senior teacher, likely in her early sixties, also failed to answer correctly. Some students could not tell how many provinces Pakistan has. A few could not even recite the table of 2.

Then came a moment that truly hurt.

A senior citizen in his early sixties, a regular morning walker in the park, was asked the same questions. He, too, could not answer any of them.

This was not about people being nervous on camera. This was about a deeper crisis in our education system.

These were not difficult questions. They are part of basic awareness. Yet the answers were missing, and that says a lot about how our children are being taught today. Our system focuses on passing exams instead of understanding concepts and building curiosity.

Sadly, this incident is not an isolated one.

Just last week, a disturbing video went viral from Gulshan Iqbal Park in Lahore, where primary school students on a school visit were seen slapping the statue of Allama Iqbal. Whether they understood who he was or not, the act showed a serious lack of awareness, respect, and guidance.

Around the same time, another heartbreaking news emerged when a student at the University of Lahore reportedly ended his life by jumping from the third floor of the campus. The reasons may be complex, academic pressure, mental stress, or lack of support, but it highlights how neglected student well-being has become.

When we connect these incidents, a troubling picture appears.

• Our children are memorizing without understanding.
• Teachers are under pressure and often unsupported.
• Institutions chase grades instead of growth.
• Society watches, mostly in silence.

General knowledge is not about quiz shows. It is about knowing who we are, where we live, and how the world around us works. When a nation loses its basics, it slowly loses its direction.

This is not about blaming anyone. It is a wake-up call.

Pakistan needs serious and honest education reform, focusing on critical thinking, teacher training, mental health, and respect for knowledge.

Until then, simple questions will continue to meet silence, and that silence should worry us more than any breaking news.

Because a nation that struggles with basic answers today may struggle with much bigger questions tomorrow.