“The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery.” – Poet and author Mark van Doren
Dr Safiuddin Siddiqui describes himself as being a compulsive teacher. In school, he was the ‘teacher’ outside the classroom as his friends and class colleagues would rely on him for help with their homework. While studying medicine at AKU, Dr Siddiqui also took out time to teach grade 11 and 12 students who were preparing for national exams. And he continues to teach today despite working as the CEO of a n
etwork of schools, the Meritorious Education Network (MEN), which he founded over two decades ago and has grown to over 350 employees.
When asked about his enduring love for teaching, the doctor turned educational entrepreneur replies: “Teaching is both a form of CPR as well as a long-term cure for many ailments in society. Every educated person must be equipped with the ability to provide CPR to society, in whatever capacity they can. To enable or inspire someone to learn is the best contribution anyone can make,” he explains.
Dr Siddiqui believes that the best educators make an impact that extends far beyond the classroom. That’s because their approach to teaching inculcates curiousity and a set of values in their students that inspires them to put their knowledge to good use. He urges every teacher at his schools to follow this ethos and to avoid the ‘rat race’ that makes educators focus on grades above all else, a problem that he feels is prominent in those teaching children between the ages of four and ten.
The pressure on young learners, from teachers and parents alike, to not make mistakes is counter-productive and prevents children from expressing themselves, he states adding that he often tells parents of children in this age group to stop worrying about their child’s grammatical errors, handwriting or the inability to write between lines.
“It is much more important for the child to identify areas of interest in order to develop his/her personality. Children are inquisitive by nature and should be allowed to pursue their own interests. Once a teacher has succeeded in developing the class’s reading skills, s/he should focus on encouraging each child to explore a subject in his/her own way. Early childhood learning should be a refreshing morning walk as opposed to a race to acquire knowledge at the highest speed.”
The result of such a ‘semi-structured, exploratory’ approach is that the confidence of a child grows and they begin to enjoy education. He adds that when students are engaged in the classroom, there is great potential to nurture both their minds and their character. Dr Siddiqui credits the faculty at AKU for opening his eyes to the value of such an approach.
“I had never considered teaching to be a fulfilling career until I joined the MBBS programme at AKU in July 1991. This was the time that compelled me to look at educational methods in a new light. I realised what I was being taught wasn't just quality medical education; it was a process through which values, personality and character were being injected in students. The way faculty interacted with us and the use of extracurricular learning were focussed at making us well-rounded human beings. I believe that should be the ultimate aim of education at every level,” he adds.
During his studies at AKU, Dr Siddiqui applied the same approach to education at an education centre where he taught in the evenings. He immediately noticed that students became more responsive, and interested after he made them view their lessons in a more pragmatic way. It was during these lessons that he felt the need to extend such an approach towards education to students of much younger ages through the MEN.
“I encouraged my students at the education centre to assess the utility of the knowledge they were gaining and to evaluate how they could apply their skills if they encounter such a problem in their lives. While this helped me engage my students in thought-provoking discussions it also reinforced my belief in pragmatic education,” he states.
Dr Siddiqui continues to encourage teachers at his schools to deliver their lessons in a fashion that enables students to connect the content of lessons to their daily life. He feels that this approach builds capacity in students to address challenges and to be confident enough to apply their knowledge while solving problems. Ultimately, by encouraging a multidisciplinary approach towards learning, schools will be able to provide “a more able force of catalysts for positive change in society,” he concludes.