By Reem Ahmed
Albert Einstein once said, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
It’s part of the long-standing belief that whoever fails to meet the traditional standard of book smart is doomed to fail for the rest of their life, not taking into consideration the variety of the gifts that Allah (SWT) has bestowed on us.
There is no doubt that success in schools and university plays an important role in attaining a good position and earning high salaries later in life. Nevertheless, it should not be considered as the only standard. Individuals’ abilities vary and some face difficulties in studying more than others.
Not attaining excellent academic results does not mean he or she will be of no use to the society throughout one’s life.
Every child is special. “Taare Zameen Par”, an Indian movie portrays the challenges of an eight-year-old boy, Ishaan Awasthi who was later diagnosed with dyslexia. The little boy was born in a society that put much pressure on young kids as if they were in constant competition. The boy’s parents were awareness of his problem and this led to deriding in his condition.
In spite of his poor school performance, Ishaan has a rich imagination that made him see the world through his own lens and conveys his views of the world in wonderful artistic artworks. The message that one could conclude from the movie is that a child with below-average performance needs empowering and an encouraging environment to secure his upbringing. Only then can one move him up the ladder.
But unfortunately relating is displaced or replaced by coercion and drudgery: piles of homework, a conveyor belt of assignments and unrealistic deadlines. This seems to be the situation in real life today. Unless you relate you can’t locate a child’s deficiencies, and unless this is done, there is no scope for filling the gap. This is the punch line of this film.***