SOCIAL MEDIA: The use of social media platforms has seen a steep rise in Pakistan, with the trend running across all walks of life, including educational institutions. I see many a TikToker roaming around and all over the place where I study. They are always busy creating ‘content’, which is the word they use for whatever trash they produce. The administration of all educational institutions should ban such activities.

Aleena Tanveer
Lahore

QUALITY EDUCATION: In the pursuit of material targets, we seem to have ignored the essence of education. The seats of higher learning in the country can clearly be divided into two categories. People hailing from the upper class have access to quality education and have more chances of leading a respectable and successful life. On the other hand, the rest of Pakistan, which means about 70 per cent of the population, keeps struggling first to get quality education and then to earn a decent living. The disparity in education is seriously troubling.

Hina Akram
Karachi

UNIVERSITY NEEDED: Like many other cities in the country, Sheikhupura does not have a university to cater to the academic needs of the local population, especially the young. The students aspiring to acquire higher education remain in constant trouble, and have to look around for other options. The city needs a university. In fact, the city deserves to have a university, and this should be on the priority list of the officials.

Aliya Azam
Sheikhupura

CHEATING IN EXAMS: The menace of cheating in board exams is a serious issue. Students copy from each other’s papers, use mobile phones, and even bribe invigilators to pass the exams. Lack of recognition or rewards for hard work can lead to a sense of disillusionment, and a lack of motivation, which contributes to cheating tendencies. There is a need to come down hard on the culprits.

Unzela Waheed
Karachi

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2023