Students should learn how to think, says expert

Bahrain was urged yesterday to incorporate "thinking skills" into its school curriculum. It could give more people the skills they need in life, said author Dr Edward de Bono, Gulf Daily News (GDN) reported today.

"The purpose of education is not only just to pick the brightest but also to equip the other more than two thirds with the skills they need to run their life," he told the GDN.

"School dropouts should be given a chance to develop their thinking skills and apply it to their own life. Many students who were not good at school may be very clever in real-life situations. They should not be allowed to spend the rest of their life thinking that they are good for nothing, but should be given a chance to think positively and thus build up their self-esteem and confidence." Dr de Bono, who is in Bahrain at the invitation of Discover Islam, will speak to representatives of non-government organisations (NGOs) at a seminar, scheduled to be held at Beit Al Quran at 6 pm today," the report said.

The title of his presentation is How to Apply Lateral Thinking in Social Work.

"The UAE has recently incorporated thinking as a subject in its school curriculum. I hope Bahrain will adopt a similar measure which will eventually help cut down its unemployment rate," he said according to GDN.