Education Philosophy: Balance, Not Pressure

By Shaheed Osman Hadi | From his autobiographical reflections

“Kom Kom Porba” — Read Less, Live More

My father had a philosophy that shocked every parent who heard it. When other fathers visited Nesarabad Madrasa and told their children “Bhalo kore porasona koro” (Study well, study more), my father would say the opposite:

“Kom kom porba.” Read less.

Not less learning — but less cramming. Less pressure. More balance.

The Rules of Abdul Hadi

My father, Maulana Abdul Hadi, established rules that seemed counterintuitive but produced results:

1. No studying from Asr to Maghrib. Go outside. Play. Walk. Breathe.
2. No studying after 10 PM. Sleep is not optional.
3. Never tell a child to study. If they don’t want to learn, forcing them won’t help.

His philosophy: “Porte abar bolte hobe keno? Nije porbey.” Why should you have to tell someone to study? They should want to learn themselves.

The Results Speak

My mother had one complaint about my father her whole life — he never once told any of his six children to study. Yet:

• My eldest brother became Dr. Maulana Abu Bakr Siddiq — First Class First in both Honors and Masters, recipient of the President’s Gold Medal
• My sister ranked First in Bangladesh among girls in the Madrasa Board’s Alim examination
• My other brother received the Dean’s Award at Jagannath University
• I competed nationally in debates, poetry, and public speaking from childhood

We weren’t successful despite the lack of pressure. We were successful because of it.

The Lesson for Bangladesh

Our education system is killing our children with pressure. Coaching from morning to night. No play. No creativity. No time to think.

My father understood something most educators miss: Learning happens when curiosity is alive. You cannot force curiosity. You can only create the conditions for it to flourish.

Those conditions include:

• Rest — A tired mind cannot learn
• Play — Creativity requires freedom
• Trust — Children rise to expectations, not demands
• Balance — The whole person must be developed, not just the exam-taking machine

A Challenge to Parents

The next time you want to tell your child “Porte bos” (Sit and study), ask yourself:

• Have they played today?
• Have they had time to think?
• Are they curious, or just compliant?

The goal is not to produce students who score well on exams. The goal is to produce human beings who love learning — and who will keep learning long after the exams are over.

My father never told me to study. He showed me what it meant to be a thinking, questioning, engaged person. That was the real education.

“Asorer por pora jabe na. Ratri 10 tar por jaiga jabe na.”

No studying after Asr. No staying awake after 10 PM.

— The education philosophy of Maulana Abdul Hadi