Education is many things, not only the learning of formal academic curricula, with rote learning and the memorisation of so many things. Education is much more than that, and underlying it all is the importance of stimulating the learner’s interest and curiosity, making it pleasant to learn—at home, at school and elsewhere, in informal and formal situations.

Last week, I wrote about the importance of reading children’s books, drawing special attention to Astrid Lindgren, the best-selling Swedish writer, and Roald Dahl, the British writer of Norwegian heritage, who is probably Pakistani children’s best-known writer of children’s books in English. Perhaps surprisingly, I also mentioned Mr Bean, the famous TV character created by actor Rowan Atkinson, who teaches us to see the fun aspects of everyday situations and, therefore, helps us become better learners.

The genius physicist Albert Einstein said that the most important thing we can do for children’s learning is to stimulate their imagination and fantasy; we should read fairytales to them, not only one or two, but many—and then they will become better learners and doers in childhood and adulthood, perhaps even geniuses and inventors, finding better ways of social coexistence and new ways of doing things. We should also take into consideration education’s moral aspects and the fact that it should create good habits and values in learners. Astrid Lindgren’s character Pippi Longstocking, who was so strong that she could lift a horse and even chase the police, if needed, said that if you are very strong, you must also be very kind.

Now, then, let me write more specifically about the heading of my article today, ‘Right to Play’, borrowing the words from an international NGO of the same name, which focuses on learning through play in order to help children and youth build confidence and take their minds off the problems and trauma in their everyday lives. When........

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