STUDYING at a public university comes at a cost. It is no wonder that public universities in Pakistan are fighting battles against poor infrastructure, substandard examination systems, shortage of teaching staff, appalling policy implementation, delayed entry tests and announcement of examination results, non-availability of power, … the list is simply endless.

With this shabby academic environment, students are now facing a frequent boycott of classes at the University of Karachi. One of the major public-sector universities in the country, having 53 departments and approximately 41,000 full-time students, the University of Karachi has been facing a complete boycott of academic activities by teachers for some time.

The boycott may end today or it may end tomorrow or it may go on indefinitely or it may have ended already; such is the level of uncertainty that has gripped the university and its students. The ultimate sufferers, as is always the case in such a situation, will be the students.

Their academic life is in a disarray, and once the classes resume, the teachers will simply leave the course work incomplete because the exams will be held on time. By boycotting classes, the teachers may get whatever it is that they are asking for, or maybe the university administration will claim a victory, but the losers on all counts and beyond doubt or debate will be the students.

The educational system is already in a bad shape owing to a long history of neglect and mismanagement. One wonders what the teachers and the administration are up to in these grim times, knowing fully well that they are merely contributing to the decay of an already mismanaged system.

The Karachi University Teachers’ Society (Kuts) has been repeatedly raising its concerns on issues pertaining to delay in the formulation of selection boards, but the university adminis-tration has been turning a blind eye to the frustration of the teachers.

It is not for the students to decide who is at fault. Maybe the teachers are right. Maybe the administration is. But what does it matter? The only thing that matters is the continuation of the classes.

Why do students have to pay the price every time somebody within the educational system feels aggrieved? The provincial government needs to get involved with the university adminis-tration and get the matter sorted out so that the academic process may resume.

Basmah Jawaid
Karachi

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2023