CSS 2014 Solved Current Affairs Past Papers | The Factor (Character Building) in Education Systems of Pakistan
The following question of CSS Current Affairs 2014 is solved by Sir Ammar Hashmi, the best Current Affairs Coach, on the guided pattern of Sir Syed Kazim Ali, which he taught to his students, scoring the highest marks in compulsory subjects for years. This solved past paper question is uploaded to help aspirants understand how to crack a topic or question, write relevantly, what coherence is, and how to include and connect ideas, opinions, and suggestions to score the maximum.
Question breakdown
The question has two main parts. The first requires an overview of character building and its assessment in Pakistan’s education system. The second requires suggestions for inculcating Character Building in Pakistan’s education system.
Outline
Introduction
Character Building
Assessment of Character Building in Pakistan’s Education System
Recommendations for the inculcation of Character Building in the Pakistan education system
- ✓ Curriculum Reform
- ✓ Teacher Training and Development
- ✓ Active learning approaches
- ✓ Co-Curricular Activities and Extracurricular Engagement
- ✓ Parental and Community Involvement
- ✓ Utilizing Technology and Media
7-Critical Analysis
8-Conclusion
Answer to the question
Introduction
Character building is about instilling virtues like responsibility, respect, integrity, empathy, and perseverance. Philosophers like Aristotle in his literature also emphasized the importance of virtue ethics, with the argument that the development of good character traits, or virtues, is central to living a fulfilling and ethical life. In this aspect, Pakistan struggles with various societal challenges such as corruption, lack of civic responsibility and intolerance, which ranked Pakistan 140th out of 180 countries in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index. Programs like this and service-learning initiatives, where students can engage in community projects, could help students develop a sense of civic duty and correlate with higher academic achievement and lower dropout rates. Moreover, the training of teachers should emphasize character education to facilitate moral discussions and encourage active learning approaches. Through collaborative and serious efforts, integrity, compassion, and social responsibility can be integrated into a society that fosters a brighter future for all.
Character Building
It is a process of developing and nurturing an individual’s ethical and moral values, which form the basic foundation of their behaviour and decision-making. Character building is about instilling virtues like responsibility, respect, integrity, empathy, and perseverance. These values shape a person’s interaction with others, contributions to society, and handling adverse challenges. Philosophers like Aristotle in his literature also emphasized the importance of virtue ethics, with the argument that the development of good character traits, or virtues, is central to living a fulfilling and ethical life. He also believed that courage, justice and temperance are not innate but are cultivated through continuous practice and education. This aligns with modern psychology and shows how character traits can be nurtured over time through socialization, experiences and deliberate training. Character building is seen as vital to academic learning as renowned psychologist Martin Seligman highlighted the importance of inculcating virtues like kindness, curiosity, and resilience, which lead to personal well-being as well as have a positive societal impact. Schools and communities that emphasize character-building education tend to produce highly valued individuals who are not only academically successful but also demonstrate higher levels of social responsibility and empathy.
Assessment of Character Building in Pakistan’s Education System
Education is a way to impart knowledge and skills, whereas character development is the process of instilling ethical and moral values in students. However, it is the most neglected aspect in Pakistani schools, particularly in public institutions. One of the primary problems is that in Pakistan, the education system is largely exam-driven, which only focuses on rote learning and memorization as success is predominantly measured by good grades, leaving little or no room for the nurturing of traits like integrity, responsibility and empathy. A study at the Aga Khan University’s Institute for Educational Development revealed that more than 90% of teachers in Pakistan rely on rote learning, with the least focus on critical thinking and moral education. This limits the ability of a student to apply ethical reasoning or acquire traits that are essential for navigating complex social issues.
Pakistan struggles with various societal challenges, such as corruption, lack of civic responsibility and intolerance. Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index recently reported that Pakistan ranked 140th out of 180 countries, whereas countries with a strong emphasis on character building, such as New Zealand or Denmark (both of which rank among the least corrupt countries), tend to have a more ethically conscious citizenry. This suggests that character education plays a significant role in shaping a society’s overall moral fabric. Moreover, research by the Pakistan Institute of Education (PIE) showed that teacher training programs focus on academic content delivery with minimal concern for moral and ethical development.
To address all the aforementioned challenges, Pakistan could adopt the “Jigsaw Method” of cooperative learning, pioneered by American psychologist Elliot Aronson. He encourages students to work together in teams to foster empathy, respect for diverse perspectives, and accountability. Programs like this and service-learning initiatives, where students can engage in community projects, could help students develop a sense of civic duty and also correlate with higher academic achievement and lower dropout rates.
Recommendations for the inculcation of Character Building in the Pakistan education system
- ✓ Curriculum Reform:
The present curriculum in Pakistan is heavily focused on memorization and academic performance, with little or no emphasis on moral and ethical development. Singapore can be taken as a model example where character education is integrated into the curriculum under the “Values in Action” program, which focuses on leadership, moral decision-making and civic duty. This encourages students to participate in community service and impart their actions to society, thus embedding ethical behaviour in their lives. Implementation of a similar program in Pakistan could enhance the development of empathy, responsibility, and cooperation among students. Human Capital Index of the World Bank scored Pakistan 0.41 which reflects weak social and educational outcomes. These statistics underline the need for a more practical curriculum reform which prioritizes both ethical and cognitive development. Additionally, the integration of social and emotional learning (SEL), which teaches skills like conflict resolution, emotional regulation and empathy, is needed.
- ✓ Teacher Training and Development:
Concentration on professional development can help teachers in Pakistan learn ways to help students develop ethical and social skills. Many programs in Pakistan focus on content knowledge instead of pedagogical content knowledge and moral character. In a recent publication by Pakistan Education Statistics, about 20% of teachers undergo professional development training, which is very low. This ultimately results in the poor transfer of values and ethical benchmarks in classrooms. The studies found that through positive student-teacher relationships, observed behaviours like perseverance and pro-social behaviours and modelling of these attributes by the teacher, learners exhibit positive character in class and society as well. In addition, this research discusses several areas that require guidelines that will enforce ethical measures, boost community services, and endorse character development.
John Dewey, an educational theorist, said, “If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow.” So, investing in teacher and student development is necessary to ensure that the next generation is equipped with the skills needed to thrive in a complex world.
- ✓ Active Learning Approaches:
Active learning involves students in the learning process rather than only depending on passive information, having them passively receive information. As a result, active learning fosters not only academic skills but also essential character traits such as empathy, responsibility, and teamwork. One effective active learning strategy is cooperative learning, where students work collectively to complete tasks. The Journal of Educational Psychology published an article that reported that students engaged in this type of learning showed a 35% increase in social skills compared to those in traditional lecture-based learning methods. This approach teaches students the key elements of character development, i.e., how to communicate, resolve conflicts, and appreciate diverse perspectives. Another active learning method is role-playing and simulations. It encourages students to step into different perspectives and face ethical dilemmas. National Youth Leadership Council indicated that kids or people involved in service-learning experiences show a 55% increase in civic responsibility. In Pakistan, the incorporation of these learning strategies could help bridge the gap between education and community engagement, which fosters values like compassion and social awareness.
- ✓ Co-Curricular Activities and Extracurricular Engagement:
Co-curricular activities, when integrated into the school curriculum, perfectly complement academic learning by improving skills such as sports, music, and debate. On the other hand, extracurricular activities take place outside regular class hours, providing additional avenues for personal growth. For instance, Clubs focused on community service, cultural exchange, and environmental awareness encourage students to engage more with societal issues and develop empathy. Moreover, leadership roles, such as club president or event organizer, help build confidence and decision-making skills. Harvard Graduate School of Education reported that students in leadership positions often show the best academic performance and social skills. In Pakistan, integrating these activities into the education system can address the current focus on rote learning. A survey by Pakistan Education Statistics showed that less than 30% of schools provide sufficient opportunities for such activities. By promoting a balanced approach to education and character development through these engagements, schools and learning institutions can cultivate well-rounded individuals equipped to navigate the complexities of life.
- ✓ Parental and Community Involvement:
Harvard Family Research Project, in a report, showed that children with engaged parents tend to exhibit higher levels of motivation, self-discipline and empathy. When parents in Pakistan attend school meetings, allow them to volunteer for events or support in extracurricular activities, they portray the importance of responsibility and commitment; for example, parents who participate in school events not only strengthen their bond with the school community but also encourage their children to value collaboration and teamwork. In addition to this, schools can also benefit from inviting community leaders into their programs, like involving them to speak at events or serving as mentors who can provide students with role models who exemplify strong ethical behavior and good character. Center for Responsive Schools held a research that highlighted that schools with strong parent-teacher communication saw improved student behavior as well as academic performance. So, both parental and community involvement are essential for character building in the education system of Pakistan, which will create a supportive environment that fosters responsibility, positive values and empathy. This will not only benefit an individual but also strengthen the entire community, which will lead to a more socially responsible and engaged society.
- ✓ Utilizing Technology and Media:
Technology and media offer a means for collaboration, communication, and access to diverse perspectives and can influence and shape social norms and behaviours. Online discussion forums and group projects allow students to work together, develop teamwork skills and share ideas. For instance, the use of Google Classroom can engage students in projects that ultimately improve critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Technology also leads to a variety of resources for character education, such as applications and websites promoting social and emotional learning, which fosters empathy, determination and ethical decision-making for learners. Any media that includes a documentary or film story on social change can motivate the students to participate in community participation. Similar to this, social media can also be used to encourage character development. Some of the ways that schools and colleges can benefit from these forums include sharing the success stories of students and making them learn from these examples of ethical leadership. Technology can also give students a chance to interact with students from other cultures through academic-related exercises. For instance, ePals, which allows students to work on projects together with students from different countries, promotes tolerance and harmony.
Critical Analysis
By assessing the current educational climate of Pakistan, it is seen that education in the current context is focused on providing only academic success, which in most cases was performed at the cost of other valuable assets of the students. This focus hinders the merit of educational processes and distorts major goals of acquiring knowledge. This has resulted in the absence of a structured approach to character-building training, as character-building training is critical for overall individual and societal health. Without it, issues such as corruption, intolerance, and social fragmentation can occur. This present study identified one of the major deficits in Pakistan’s education system, such as the imbalance in not incorporating character education in the regular education curriculum. Further, the lack of teachers’ professional development reduces the capacity of the instructor to help students reason on moral/ethical dilemmas. Investment in character building is not a mere education reform, but it is for having a better, deserving and righteous society.
Conclusion
Character building, if being a part of education, not only shapes an individual’s personality but also the moral fabric of society. In Pakistan, this system counters significant challenges in establishing character development among students. A multidimensional approach is needed to improve this educational system in which the curriculum should prioritize empathy, ethical education and social responsibility with academic subjects. Additionally, teachers should be trained to emphasize character education, which promotes moral discussion and encourages active learning in students. Serious efforts and collaborations are needed in which integrity, compassion, and social responsibility can be integrated into a society to foster a brighter future for all.
CSS Solved Past Papers’ Essays
Looking for the last ten years of CSS and PMS Solved Essays and want to know how Sir Kazim’s students write and score the highest marks in the essays’ papers? Then, click on the CSS Solved Essays to start reading them.
CSS Solved Essays
CSS Solved General Science & Ability Past Papers
Want to read the last ten years’ General Science & Ability Solved Past Papers to learn how to attempt them and to score high? Let’s click on the link below to read them all freely. All past papers have been solved by Pakistan’s top CSS GSA coach having the highest score of their students.
General Science & Ability Solved Past Papers
