EDUCATION : !CLOSE NO MINDS!

UNIVERSITIES are approached quite regularly [though mostly informally] by various state agencies to inquire about certain on-campus activities of the faculty and the students.

Various agencies keep an eye on what is taught in universities in general, and sometimes in specific courses as well.

Social media, we know, is very heavily monitored in the Developing World, say Pakistan, and even managed. 

THE generation of trends on social media have been studied to show significant interventions and attempts at management.

At times, universities have been told not to hold specific events, seminars/and or conferences. Sometimes, the agencies have gone of trying to dictate which 'experts' should or should not be invited for talks., and even which authors should not be taught in universities as opposed to others who are more acceptable.

All of this is definitely not about ensuring student safety, or discouraging harassment, or preserving culture and traditions. They are definitely not attempts to ensure a batter quality of education in our educational environment and institutions.

They are, quiet clearly, attempts to control minds and the development of minds. These are battles to generate and control certain narratives.

Though odious, all this would be without contradiction, but the problem is that we always decry our students getting a poor-quality of education, and say that we are not producing people who have the ability to think critically, who have the ability to think for themselves, who can be thought of as  action leaders in all fields of endeavour. and who have ability to raise the quality of our human resources as a whole.

All directives, and actions are basic ways of ensuring what the youth in society should or should not think.

Unlike what is said by many, I do not think these directives have a lot to do with culture and traditions, or attempts at conserving them.

The honor and serving of the latest operational thinking on Education, Universities, Colleges,and Young Students, continues.

The World Students Society thanks author Dr. Faisal Bari/associate professor of economics at LUMS/Pakistan.