KARACHI: Within the sacred space of the classroom, not only does a teacher have the power to transform lives, but also save them.

This was an idea that echoed in the midst of dozens of teachers from different universities in Sindh and Balochistan at a day-long workshop on Thursday that aimed to address and curb rising militancy in students pursuing higher degrees.

The workshop, titled ‘Social harmony, religious tolerance, and education system in Pakistan’, was organised by the Pak Institute for Peace Studies. It brought together different speakers to help identify and highlight the role university teachers needed to play in an era of radicalised thoughts and intolerant ideologies that are translating into violence against minorities and religious extremism.

Former director of Karachi University’s Pakistan Study Centre Dr Jaffar Ahmed shared his experiences of teaching for almost 33 years.

‘The use of social media is unchecked and as a result information is widely shared without being verified’

“In the classroom, neither society nor the government tends to interfere with your interactions with students. This is why we as teachers must develop a relationship with our students which will encourage critical inquiry and a healthy exchange of debate.”

An atmosphere which allows students to ask questions, and disagree or agree in a democratic fashion, was the need of the current trying times, he said. “We must not discriminate against them if they hold views that are in contrast to ours. Trust the student and give him an environment and culture to explore his opinions to foster healthy relationships,” he added.

The profession, however, was not living up to its responsibilities, agreed the speakers, and there seemed to be an intellectual poverty prevalent in academia.

Former chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology Dr Khalid Masud lamented how unauthenticated sources of information, especially becoming prominent through the use of social media, were allowing the phenomenon of disinformation to be cultivated beyond control.

“The use of social media is unchecked and as a result information is widely shared without being verified. This is shaping the opinions of millions and can be taken in any direction possible,” he said.

This is where the teacher comes in and can help educate the users of technology on how to be more selective with the kind of information they rely on. “One such effective way is to teach them not to rely on secondary sources of information when they are doing research work in their specific areas of study,” he added.

Participants in the workshop said more efforts were needed to sensitise the teachers about the nuances of social media which was allowing radicalised voices to prey on the unsuspecting.

Encouraging diversity, with regards to ethnicities and ideologies, is also an important step towards making the student body more tolerant and accepting. Experts at the workshop stressed the need to encourage students to have multiple viewpoints, as well as adapting a curriculum that did not cater to a certain identity framework, religious sensibility or political or social ideology.

Published in Dawn, September 8th, 2017