Why My Kids Are Learning Robotics (And Why Yours Should Too)

The Question That Started It All

Last month, a parent from Chakwal stopped me at a local shop. Her son was good at studies, she said. English medium school, decent marks, board exam pressure mounting. But she asked me something that stuck: "Should he be learning robotics? Or should he focus on his actual studies?"

I realized she wasn't alone. Most parents I meet ask the same thing. And honestly? I used to wonder the same thing myself when I was starting out.

But after running technology businesses for three decades — first Wi-Link Internet Services, then building Watni Digital with our school management systems and learning platforms — I've watched the world change. And Pakistan is falling behind.

The Numbers Don't Lie (And They Worry Me)

Here's what keeps me up at night: Pakistan ranked 88th out of 132 countries in the Global Innovation Index 2024. India is at 40th. China at 12th. Even Iran beat us at 62nd. That's not just a ranking. That's our children's future.

Meanwhile, globally, 553,000 new industrial robots were deployed in 2023 alone. And AI investment is heading toward $300 billion by 2026. These aren't optional skills anymore. They're becoming baseline.

But here in smaller cities like Chakwal, Rawalpindi, and dozens of towns across Punjab? Most kids have never touched a robotics kit. They've never written a line of code. They don't know what STEM even means.

The Real Problem Isn't Lack of Interest

It's not that Pakistani parents don't care. They care too much — but in the wrong direction. The pressure is all on board exams, on getting into medical or engineering colleges, on "serious" studies. Everything else feels like a luxury.

And I get it. When you're struggling to pay school fees in a smaller city, a robotics summer camp feels like a rich kid's hobby. The first robotics competition I heard about in Pakistan was the WRO Pakistan 2026 National Competition happening in Lahore this September. Lahore. Not Chakwal. Not Gujrat. Not Sargodha.

That's the gap right there.

Parents also tell me: "There are no teachers here. No proper kits. No one who knows this stuff." And they're right. That's the real barrier. Not interest. Infrastructure.

But Here's What I've Learned From My Own Kids

When my children started learning coding and basic robotics, something unexpected happened. Their math improved. Their problem-solving got sharper. They started asking better questions — not just memorizing answers for exams.

One of them was struggling with physics concepts. Abstract stuff. But when we built a simple robot together, suddenly gravity and momentum made sense. It wasn't theoretical anymore. It was real.

That's what STEM education does. It makes learning stick.

Organizations like Pakistan Science Club are running online STEM Summer Camp 2026. NUST Islamabad has been running robotics and AI camps for kids aged 8-14 for years. Roots School was the first Pakistani school to introduce robotics across all campuses. These aren't experiments anymore. They're proving it works.

What About the Urdu Medium Students? The Ones in Smaller Cities?

This is where I get frustrated. Most STEM programs are in English. Most are in big cities. Most cost money that families in smaller towns can't afford.

But here's the thing — robotics doesn't care about your medium of instruction. Code is code. A robot works the same way whether you learned English or Urdu. And the jobs? They're opening up everywhere.

I started Wi-Link Internet Services in a smaller city because I believed technology shouldn't be Lahore-only. Same reason we built Watni Digital. We wanted school management systems and learning platforms that work for schools in Chakwal, not just Islamabad.

STEM education should be the same. It should be for everyone.

So What Should You Actually Do Right Now?

If you're a parent reading this, you don't need to panic. You don't need to enroll your child in an expensive robotics academy tomorrow. But start somewhere.

• Look for online STEM programs. Pakistan Science Club's summer camp is a real option. It's affordable and it's online, so location doesn't matter.
• Check if any school near you is offering coding or robotics clubs. Even small exposure changes how kids think.
• Talk to your child about what they're curious about. Not what gets good marks. What actually interests them.
• Don't treat STEM as separate from "real studies." It's not. It's how the real world works now.

And if you're an educator or school administrator? The time to act is now. Not because it's trendy. Because your students will compete globally. They need these skills.

The Honest Truth

I won't pretend this is easy. Building STEM infrastructure in smaller Pakistani cities requires investment, teacher training, and a shift in how we think about education. It requires parents to trust that robotics and coding aren't distractions from "real learning."

But I've spent 30 years in technology. I've seen what happens when you give people tools and knowledge. I've built businesses in smaller cities because I believe they matter. I know what our children can do if we give them the chance.

The parent who asked me about her son? I told her this: "Your son can study hard and pass his exams. That's important. But also let him build something. Let him break things and fix them. Let him code. Let him think like an engineer." She smiled. I think she got it.

That's all I'm asking for. Not instead of traditional education. Alongside it. Because in 2026 and beyond, the kids who can think, create, and solve problems with technology won't just get better jobs. They'll shape Pakistan's future.

And that future should include kids from Chakwal too.