How can we teach thinking?

If you believe that education is to enable and sharpen thinking function in an individual, then this is a question to answer.One of the biggest complaints across industries is that educated youth are not able to think objectively and deeply.  What is the reason for such shallowness in thinking? Even policies and decisions when turned into actions seem to display shallowness in thoughts. 

This is primarily because no school or college teaches a child or a youth how to think.  When teachers and students had more engaging sessions they seem to have the opportunity to question and discuss a topic.  As the pressure on the student and the teacher increased, the first thing that left the classroom was questioning.  The teacher no more questions the student and the students are happier leaving the teacher undisturbed.  Questioning is the singular tool that can develop the thinking function.  Not accepting things as-is is the first step to enabling thinking. If we question and then accept the knowledge it remains with us for a much longer time.

The lack of questioning has resulted in rote learning which in turn has hardened the thinking muscles.  To ensure that we train children and inspire them to learn, classroom time has to be spent in raising questions, doubting stuff, experimenting to validate and allowing whatever learning to be absorbed happen.  Such learning will produce liberal minded and self thinking people who will necessarily by habit think before they act.  Teaching people how to think is probably education’s top challenge and priority today.