BEING a student in Pakistan makes one highly vulnerable to exploitation at every turn. Stepping out of home to pursue university education or prepare for competitive examinations often brings an overwhelming financial burden: travel expenses, hostel charges, and costly academies targeting students under the guise of ‘education providers’.

The struggle starts with finding a suitable hostel, followed by separate security and admission fee, and then the heavy monthly hostel charges. Many students are exploited by hostel mafias, only to encounter similar issues at the so-called academies, which often push students to buy their own overpriced books and other material. This journey turns education itself into a secondary concern, overshadowed by the stress of navigating these exploitative systems.

However, the challenges do not end there. Once the students secure a place to stay and enrol in an academy, they face yet another layer of struggle.

For students who commute from nearby towns or villages, the situation is just as difficult. Public transport, where available, is unreliable, and private transportation is costly. Travelling daily not only drains their pockets, but also consumes precious study hours, leaving the students exhausted before they even reach the classroom.

Financial pressures aside, there is the constant mental strain of navigating these hurdles. Students, especially those from modest backgrounds, often take up part-time jobs to fund their education, sacrificing the time they could otherwise dedicate to studying. This constant battle leaves many disillusioned and fatigued, shifting their focus from learning to merely surviving the system.

In the end, the journey of acquiring education in Pakistan, instead of being an empowering experience, becomes a gruelling and exhaustive struggle against a system that seems indifferent to the students’ wellbeing and growth.

For girl students, the struggles multiply with the added concerns of safety, limited hostel options, and societal expectations that often push them to abandon their dreams prematurely.

Instead of creating an environment that supports and nurtures future generations, the system leaves students exhausted, battling obstacles at every stage and dampening their motivation and potential.

Those in the corridors of power should reconsider their priorities. How can they demand the youth to build a future when they have thrown every obstacle in their way and made it nearly impossible for the students to achieve anything?

The students are too tired to learn anything. They are too worn out by the system that drains the very will to learn. In fact, they have been beaten down by a system that crushes every ounce of hope and ambition the students are left with.

Rakhshanda Abbas
Gilgit

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2024