The cold war between the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan and provincial educational authorities is seeing another battle, as both Punjab and Sindh provinces have directed vice chancellors of public sector universities in their jurisdiction not to attend a VCs’ conference called by HEC in Lahore.
The provincial government has ordered vetting of all textbooks used in higher education institutions across Punjab to cleanse the curriculum of objectionable material and curb the trends of extremism seen rising at institutions across Pakistan.
Pupils remain in constant need of motivation and appreciation by instructors in order to keep striving to overcome obstacles that impede their progress towards learning. However, many forget that the pupils are only as eager to learn as teachers are willing to impart the knowledge. Which is why encouraging teachers who engage in this noble profession becomes even more critical for ensuring that students of today become agents of true change in the society tomorrow.
Getting into a university is not just about ensuring access to quality higher education, but also choosing an institute that employers relate with producing candidates that add immense value to the organisations they join. Now a global study conducted by a leading HR consultancy Emerging gives prospective students insight into the universities most leading employers around the world think produce the best employable talent.
People of Lahore seem to not have really realised the extent of the problem they are facing these days i.e. smog. For lack of a better understanding, a large number is considering it the dense fog the city used to experience until two decades ago, while many others consider it a seasonal change indicating arrival of winter – a chance to style oneself up in warm clothing.
But smog is a serious health hazard that appears to be becoming an annual event in the concrete jungle that the city is rapidly becoming. It’s a deadly amalgamation of pollutants, exhaust fumes, smoke, dust and fog that react in sunlight and stagnant air to offer an air mixture extremely harmful to humans. Its also referred to as ground-level ozone. Itching and irritation in the yes, tightness in chest, difficulty in breathing, wheezing, cough and heaviness in the head are routine symptoms of exposure to the polluted air. People with respiratory and heart problems are at a higher risk on falling sicker.
The situation is almost the same in New Delhi, capital of neighbouring India, the only difference being Delhi-ites becoming much more concerned and calling for quick remedial measures. Advisories have been on and about the media, advising people to take more care. Even schools have been shut off in the capital to limit children’s exposure to the polluted air, as medical experts opine children and elderly are at more risk of being affected by the deadly gases owing to weaker immune systems.
Sadly, the Punjab government’s lukewarm response of limiting the number of hours at schools across the city leaves much to be desired. The Academia believes shutting off schools across Lahore until the smog clears is the need of the hour. This will have two key benefits.
Firstly, children, the part of population most vulnerable to the hazardous effects of smog will remain limited inside homes, where the environment is much safer than in schools. This is absolutely necessary to limit a potential catastrophe of seeing thousands of kids falling ill due to smog.
Secondly, the closure of schools would significantly reduce traffic on the city’s roads until we see finer weather. The limited number of cars is certain to reduce the emissions being constantly added to the thick layer of smog already hovering over the city, and help reduce the lethal overhang of polluted air.
Of course there will be an affect on academic activities, but lectures and classes missed can always be made up. If continued with, the opportunity cost and health hazards of schooling in such a weather might well become a tad too much in just a few days.
In the long term, the government must reflect on its actions that have resulted in the felling of thousands of trees for the sake of infrastructure development. The citizens must also decide where their priorities are: vast eight-laned roads that let them ply shiny automobiles at breakneck speeds, or more trees that let the coming generations breathe and prosper in a healthy environment.
Already known for being one of the top educational institutions in Pakistan, the historic Government College University (GCU) Lahore is taking various initiatives to become one of the top bastions of intellectual discourse on various issues. In this regard, GCU will be organising three international conferences over the course of November 2017 to hold deliberations on several key problems of the present age.
Universities around the world are melting pots of cultures, ideologies and varied opinions and the breeding grounds for debate on issues and challenges faced by the world at any given time. They are also key platforms for the youth to develop understanding of the world beyond the curricular and pedagogical perimeters as they provide various avenues for discussions, both in and out of classrooms.
The three-week-long tensions between students and administration of Pakistan’s top ranked seat of higher learning, Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU), came to a rather sad end on Monday with a massive – and violent – crackdown on protesters by law enforcement agencies. Dozens of students were arrested and stuffed into police vans to make way for resumption of classes at the university, which did resume in a sombre environment on Tuesday.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah seems to be allocating a lot of his time to the education sector in the province.