5-Year-Old British Pakistani is World's Youngest Microsoft Professional

[RiazHaq]

Haq's Musings: 5 Years Old British Pakistani is World's Youngest Techie

5-year-old British Pakistani Ayan Qureshi is now the youngest Microsoft Certified Professional in he world, according to the BBC. Ayan takes the title of world's youngest techie from Shafay Thobani of Karachi who was the youngest known Pakistani to have become Microsoft Certified Professional at age 8 in 2012.


Ayan Qureshi in Home Computer Lab
Ayan was born in Lahore, but the family, including his mother, a doctor moved to London in 2009. His younger brother was born the UK in 2011. Ayan has set up his own computer lab at his home in Coventry, containing a computer network which he built.

Ayan's father who is an IT consultant introduced his son to computers when he was only three years old. He let him play with his old computers, so he could understand hard drives and motherboards. "I found whatever I was telling him, the next day he'd remember everything I said, so I started to feed him more information," he told the BBC.

Pakistani children have been making their mark in the information technology arena since 2005 when Arfa Karim made international headlines as the world's youngest Microsoft Certified Professional at age 9. Unfortunately she passed away at the tender age of just 16. Born in 1995, she achieved celebrity status after becoming the world's youngest computer expert at the age of 9, passing a tough series of Microsoft tests designed for software professionals. Her success brought her an invitation to Microsoft headquarters in Seattle, where she met its chairman, Bill Gates, and discussed her idea for a self-navigating car in 2005.

Arfa Karim died very young but she has inspired a whole new generation of Pakistani children to choose information technology and excel in the growing field. As a result, Pakistan has achieved the distinction of being the third most popular online IT outsourcing destination in the world. It augurs well for Pakistan's young but rapidly growing multi-billion dollar information technology industry.

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Haq's Musings: 5 Years Old British Pakistani is World's Youngest Techie

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

What a great accomplishment. Kudos!

 

[syedali73]

Sorry but it is downright cruel. I feel sorry for the kid and angry at his parents who literally stole his childhood in process of making a world record.

 

[RiazHaq]

Sorry but it is downright cruel. I feel sorry for the kid and angry at his parents who literally stole his childhood in process of making a world record.

You may sometimes be able to make a 5 year old do what you want but you certainly can not make him or her excel in it. Ayan achieved it because he wanted to, not because his parents forced him into it.

 

[Reem]

I don't feel it's cruel, as some kids are darn too bright at that age, they pretty much learn and absorb anything playfully specially in the age group 3-8 yrs, although it is not true for all....if a child wishes otherwise then it is cruel.....every child is different.

 

[Jayanta]

Born in UK...he is a British.

 

[syedali73]

You may sometimes be able to make a 5 year old do what you want but you certainly can not make him or her excel in it. Ayan achieved it because he wanted to, not because his parents forced him into it.

I am a researcher, educator, and also a father. I know one's own will and perseverance is the key to success but for a 5 years old, it just cannot be the free will, for kids at this tender age are almost exclusively dependent on their parents/elders who make right or wrong choice(s) for them. I know parents who exclusively buy the so-called 'educational toys' or books for their kids, and then there are parents who would buy random toys for their kids while considering their kid's choice (I belong to the latter group). Parents belonging to the former group try (and successfully for most time) to influence their kid's thought process, and shape their interests in desired (parent's) direction and kids cant do much about it. The kids will eventually become what their parents want them to be for it is the surrounding and the atmosphere that largely determines the outcome and that is provided by the parents.

 

[jericho]

Born in UK...he is a British.

I agree, but then if a Chinese in lets say Singapore makes world record, I believe both Chinese people and Singaporeans would be proud of it. If an Arab in Jordan makes world record, both Jordanian people and Arab world would be proud of it. So I guess in the same way, both British and Pakistanis can be proud of this news. Its human nature, its good news so people want to be associated with it, if its a crime or something bad, nobody wants to be associated with it.

Edit : Just read it again, he was born in Lahore actually, but still doesn't change what I said

 

[Reem]

I am a researcher, educator, and also a father. I know one's own will and perseverance is the key to success but for a 5 years old, it just cannot be the free will, for kids at this tender age are almost exclusively dependent on their parents/elders who make right or wrong choice(s) for them. I know parents who exclusively buy the so-called 'educational toys' or books for their kids, and then there are parents who would buy random toys for their kids while considering their kid's choice (I belong to the latter group). Parents belonging to the former group try (and successfully for most time) to influence their kid's thought process, and shape their interests in desired (parent's) direction and kids cant do much about it. The kids will eventually become what their parents want them to be for it is the surrounding and the atmosphere that largely determines the outcome and that is provided by the parents.

Parents in group 1 that you mentioned tend to expose kids to various options, offer them various learning opportunities via edutainment, kids excel at some and not at some other based on their interest.

Infact I feel, it is other way around,kids who do not get exposed to a variety of edutainment during early years, and then start learning directly via the structured schooling, they are the ones who tend to be less creative, and tend to opt for conventional fields, following social trends, not really their will.

There is difference in offering and exposing options via learning activities as compared to enforcing choice on kids.

 

[syedali73]

Parents in group 1 that you mentioned tend to expose kids to various options, offer them various learning opportunities via edutainment, kids excel at some and not at some other based on their interest.

Infact I feel, it is other way around,kids who do not get exposed to a variety of edutainment during early years, and then start learning directly via the structured schooling, they are the ones who tend to be less creative, and tend to opt for conventional fields, following social trends, not really their will.

There is difference in offering and exposing options via learning activities as compared to enforcing choice on kids.

I heard you. You are entitled to your opinion. Thanks.

 

[xyxmt]

Sorry but it is downright cruel. I feel sorry for the kid and angry at his parents who literally stole his childhood in process of making a world record.

agreed..kids should play outside in dirt not fulfilling their parent's wishes to be famous

 

[RiazHaq]

I am a researcher, educator, and also a father. I know one's own will and perseverance is the key to success but for a 5 years old, it just cannot be the free will, for kids at this tender age are almost exclusively dependent on their parents/elders who make right or wrong choice(s) for them. I know parents who exclusively buy the so-called 'educational toys' or books for their kids, and then there are parents who would buy random toys for their kids while considering their kid's choice (I belong to the latter group). Parents belonging to the former group try (and successfully for most time) to influence their kid's thought process, and shape their interests in desired (parent's) direction and kids cant do much about it. The kids will eventually become what their parents want them to be for it is the surrounding and the atmosphere that largely determines the outcome and that is provided by the parents.

Parents inspire children by what they do. That seems to be the case here where the son found what his dad did attractive enough to want to do it. Children can not excel in any field unless they are genuinely into it.

 

[RiazHaq]

Born in UK...he is a British.

It's obvious you didn't read my post. Read it again to see if you get it right this time.

 

[HeadHunter]

impossible

 

[syedali73]

Parents inspire children by what they do. That seems to be the case here where the son found what his dad did attractive enough to want to do it. Children can not excel in any field unless they are genuinely into it.

I beg to disagree with you. Parents do not inspire rather require their kids to follow their (parent's) choice(s), and kids, being a susceptible group, have no choice but to follow. A lot of things we do are basically acquired skills and with enough repetitions/practice can be excelled or mastered. That is why we see a plethora of supposedly successful people but rarely the geniuses like Einstein. Take for instance this Spellbee contest. Once I was watching an interview of the Spellbee contest winner. The poor kid was made to prepare for 7 longs hours everyday by his parents only to win the contest. The 8-years old was wearing high number glasses, did not look very healthy, and only thing appeared to be on his mind was to win a useless contest. There are many such parents around, especially of Asian origin, who practically dictate their kids to follow the path chosen by the parents and in my humble opinion, it is unethical and cruel at time when things are pushed too far, such is in this case, 5 years old MS professional.