THESIS HARD COPies: Almost every university requires students to submit two or three printed copies of their thesis at the end of the last semester. This practice consumes a large amount of paper. Printing of thousands of pages leads to unnecessary waste of paper, high print cost, deforestation and pollution. It is the responsibility of the government and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to replace paper-based thesis with PDF electronic copies. It is easier to store, share and access, and also decreases paper consumption. By adopting a paperless system, our universities can help save thousands of trees, lower costs for students, and promote sustainable practices.

Usama Hayat
Abbottabad

DEGREE VERIFICATION issue: The students of Shah Abdul Latif University (SALU) in Khairpur face immense difficulty while having their degrees verified by the Higher Education Commission (HEC). When the first application is made, students have to get affidavits duly countersigned by university officials. After submitting documents, the HEC again sends the documents to the same officials for verification. Due to this process, graduates are unable to pursue higher education, take employment opportunities, apply for scholarships and start their professional careers.

Muhammad Irfan Khuhro
Islamabad

CORE ISSUES: The bifurcation of the Directorate of Elementary and Secondary Education Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is said to be in the pipeline. While this restructuring may prove advantageous for the Secondary section, as the number of middle, high and higher secondary schools is comparatively smaller, the Primary section will have to manage a disproportionately larger number of teachers, other staff and pupils. This policy ignores the fundamental issues responsible for declining efficiency and productivity. The government should, instead, focus on student absenteeism, low enrolment and the shortage or unavailability of teachers in classrooms.

Ghazala Andaleeb Bukhari
Kohat

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2026