THE role of education should be to prepare students for the world beyond university — an adult world where men and women are required to interact at work, at home and in everyday life.

However, instead of promoting progressive values within academia, our universities shockingly succumb to pressure from the religious right by banning gender interaction on campuses.

Against such an unkind social backdrop, this weekend’s news reports revealed that Bacha Khan University in Charsadda has imposed a gender segregation policy — an unnecessary move to supposedly insulate students from ‘immoral’ behaviour.

Justifying the need for gender segregation, the university’s chief proctor’s explanation that this measure would deter students from wasting their time by socialising with one another is as illogical as it is ridiculous.

More fundamentally, interaction among students, and between students and faculty, is necessary for understanding and learning.

The increasing reports of moral policing on campuses in this country are alarming. Students and faculty must denounce such an approach. It is the education authorities’ duty to oppose moral policing which undermines a progressive academic culture.

Moreover, because Bacha Khan University was the target of a militant attack last year, in which many students lost their lives, the administration must take extra care to foster tolerance and pluralism as a way to protect its youth from militant ideologies.

The trend of gender stereotyping must be reversed, especially when misogyny is already entrenched in society.

This entails supporting collaborative learning to counter campus segregation. Unfortunately, it has become the norm over the years for right-wing student groups like the IJT — linked to the Jamaat-i-Islami — to aggressively and consistently issue ‘behaviour’ guidelines at Punjab University.

Though conservative student lobbies are notorious for putting pressure on administrative officials, the latter usually have a regressive mindset themselves.

Given the changing culture of society, educational institutions must promote a holistic and conducive learning environment. The absence of this will ensure the manifestation of intolerance and gender inequality.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2017