University Education is Important in Today’s Society

Knowledge is the most essential part in one’s life and every person has right to gain knowledge. University or college is the place where the students get chance of learning and leading their way of life successfully. The education provided in universities is mainly significant for every student for better growth and prosperous future. Many people say that universities focus only on preparing the graduates for better jobs; others say that universities studies can benefit widely the individual and the society in which they live. Many people have different views about the various studies and subjects offered in colleges and universities. University education focus to prepare students for three reasons; achieving successful career path, gaining knowledge and self-improvement.

University education provides path for every individual to develop career according to their own will. It provides students useful skills and way of living for having a good job in future. Students get admission in various departments in Universities, they are much engaged in studying activities in they learn about their field of interests. Students are able to excel their knowledge by studying and researching through various sources in university such as library, developments programs, research projects, theoretical case studies etc. In spite of this, professors and lecturers of respective departments play a lead role in engaging students in such activities which help them to present the best outcome of the tasks assigned by using their abilities.

Secondly, University education not only helps the students to achieve better jobs in market but also develop interpersonal skills in them. Moreover, Students are welcome to explore their talents in any field of interests by participating in various social activities such as sports, exhibitions, festivals, semester projects, educational trainings and seminars etc. Department faculty members also cooperate students and societies by bringing professional people in the Universities and allow them to share the experiences of life. Lecturers and professors set the defined criteria on examination on the basis of which students are awarded grades according to their performance. The students with the higher grades are then awarded with medals and certificates. These tributes on merit definitely improve character building and professional growth. In addition to that, University play vital role in preparing students who lacks confidence during the initial periods at university. College students get variety of circumstances to socialize, make new groups, communicate interests, encounter people of different culture and adopt best way of standard living. Moreover, these activities encourage students and they can easily boost their careers.

On the other hand, University or college education has some disadvantage that it is quite expensive. Mostly private sector universities have expensive 4 year bachelors program which is not affordable for parents to continue education for their children. Despite the fact university education is expensive, but its benefits are enormous and immeasurable. Students after graduating from different departments are offered with competitive salary and benefits. Most importantly, they enhance skills in practical life such as problem solving, decision making. Parents should make all means to study their children.

According to the research conducted by United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, it was concluded that student who obtained a 4 year bachelor degree makes more money than a person who had never obtained a university degree. Therefore, it is necessary for every individual to study at university level to cope up tough challenges of life and make future bright.

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A study in hypocrisy

Is ‘buying’ good quality education for my children like buying a luxury car? There are a number of providers of luxury cars: I can pick the one that comes closest to what I want. If, like a luxury car, education is a private good, the car-shopping model is fine. I do not ask the car seller to lower the price of their car. I buy or not buy, depending on what I want and what I can afford. The seller prices her pitch where she maximises her returns.

Recently, however, there has been some debate arguing for price controls on the tuition fees that private schools can charge. This came in the wake of tuition fee hikes. The state seems to have bought the argument and has not only rolled back recent increases, it has announced that future hikes will have to be justified and will be tightly controlled as well as monitored.

So, buying education is not like buying a car. But why not? Once a school year starts, it is difficult to shift a child to another school: most schools do not take children during a school year, changing schools upsets children, schools might be using different books/curricula as well. However, this serves as an argument for the Competition Commission to step in and tell schools to a) not increase fees during an academic year, b) announce fee hikes at the end of the year and well in advance of the start of the new year, and c) not surprise parents with extra levies. This is not an argument for fee caps.

Schools charge lots of other fees at the time of admission: admission fee, security and other levies and even advance fees for a few months. This bulky and fixed/sunk expenditure can act as a formidable barrier to moving children from one school to another, even if there is keen competition among a number of private schools in the vicinity. But, again, the Competition Commission could stipulate a) which fixed fees can be charged, b) which ones (security deposit) should be refunded to parents when a child leaves the school, and c) what are the limits on advance payments that schools could ask for.

Only when fees are going beyond the reach of middle-income groups do we hear calls for regulation

The Competition Law already forbids bundling activities: for example, schools telling parents that if their children are enrolled in their school, they have to purchase school supplies of any sort from them. But it is not being implemented. Again, the Competition Commission has to ensure that existing laws are implemented.

But all of the above still do not imply that the state should be telling the schools where their fees are to be capped. We can tell car manufacturers that they have to live by certain safety, environmental and quality standards but it will be odd if we tell Mercedes that they are not allowed to charge beyond a certain level for their car. The latter should be a market decision. The entrepreneur has to decide, given market demand, what the optimal price is that she should be charging.

Many people, when they read the above, will be up in arms and more than happy to criticise me: how can he see getting an education as being the same as buying automobiles? Education is not just a private good (of benefit to the recipient and her household); it has a public good (benefit to society at large) element to it as well. Our Constitution, the basic document setting the contract between the Pakistani state and the citizen, has also recognised education as a basic right of every child between five and 16 years old. Can these considerations not be a basis for arguments for ensuring access to quality education for all children?

They definitely can be a basis, and a strong basis at that. But the issue is different. Why do the same arguments not apply on behalf of the 25 million-odd children who are currently out of school? Why do these arguments not apply on behalf of the 55pc or so of our children who are currently enrolled in public schools given that most public schools provide a relatively poorer quality of education? And why did the middle- and higher-income classes not think of these arguments when they were exiting from public schools and enrolling their children in elite private schools while leaving the children of poorer parents to fend for themselves? Would they have bought the argument for low or no fee on the basis of what the poorest parents of the country could afford? Would they even now?

The recent hue and cry over fee hikes has exposed the very hypocritical position that the middle and upper classes of the country have been taking on education: their children should have access to quality education because they could afford it and so through the 1990s and 2000s the argument of education as a private good won. And, those who could not afford to pay, suffered. And now, when fees are going beyond the reach of middle-income groups, we have the cry for regulation. Will protesting parents be willing to protest for the rights of all children?

The state has also come out looking very bad in this discussion. Within days of the protests starting the state announced rollbacks and fee freezes and even new ordinances. The children of the poor do not matter in this country. Is it too late for the state to remedy the situation and work for all children and all citizens of the country?

Education, private or public, should be regulated. But this does not make a case for fee capping. We could go towards fee capping if we accept the public good element and rights basis of education but then it should, by definition, be for all. Is it too late to argue for that?

The writer is a senior research fellow at the Institute of Development and Economic Alternatives and an associate professor of economics at LUMS, Lahore.

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Faith VS Knowledge

In the 16th century Europe faced social, political and religious conflicts. Historians argue that conflict is a leitmotif of change; it awakens society from slumber and stagnation and leads to the creation of new ideas and thoughts so that, consequently, the society has to change its structure according to the need of time.

In the same century, the Christian community was divided into two when Martin Luther challenged the Catholic Church and its outdated institutions.

The Catholic Church on its part launched the Counter-Reformation to restructure its institutions. But then the Thirty Years’ War ravaged Germany and also other European countries and under these circumstances, the Catholic Church became very sensitive to signs of dissent. The Inquisition, which was a group of institutions within the judicial system of the Roman Catholic Church, took harsh steps against ‘heretics’ to check any deviation from the approved faith in order to retain its unity.

The most effective challenge that the church faced was the emergence of new knowledge which contradicted the Holy Scripture, the very basis of the faith. Until now the Ptolemaic idea that the earth was stationary and the sun revolved around it was firmly believed by the church. However, it was scientifically challenged by Copernicus (d.1543), the Polish scientist, who proved that earth revolved while the sun remained stationary. It was the heliocentric theory which contradicted Ptolemy’s geocentric concept as well as that of the church. The Catholic Church responded with fury and put the book of Copernicus in the Index Librorum, a list of ‘banned’ books which Catholics should avoid.

The argument of the church was that in the old testaments, Joshua ordered the sun not to move and it obeyed, remaining still so the nation could prepare for the war. The contention of the church was that if the sun was stationary, why would Joshua ask it not to move? Hence it was considered heretical to oppose this Biblical interpretation.

The first philosopher to face charges of heresy was Giordano Bruno (d.1600) who propagated the idea that the earth moved and that there were a number of galaxies behind the sun.

All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them — Galileo Galilei

The inquisition arrested him and tried him as a heretic. It was the practice of the Inquisition to torture prisoners and force confessions out of them. Giordano Bruno endured all kinds of torture but refused to abjure his ideas. Finally, he was taken out of prison, paraded in the streets as a heretic and burnt at the stake. When he was at the pyre, a priest tried to put a cross before his face which he angrily set aside and surrendered to being burnt alive.

Another scientist and philosopher who created lot of problems for the church was Galileo (d.1642). He was a prominent scientist and invented the telescope, the microscope and a number of small gadgets. With the invention of the telescope, he discovered new facts about heavenly planets. He proved that there were dark spots in the sun and the moon was also not as clean as it appeared. In one of his books, Dialogue, he supported Copernicus’ theory about the movement of earth. His discoveries and ideas disturbed the authorities of the church. Pope Urban VIII, who was once an admirer of Galileo, became angry and appointed a council to draw charges against him. Galileo was tried by the Inquisition as a heretic. He was given the choice either to renounce his views or be ready to be tortured and punished. Having no other alternative Galileo confessed his guilt and apologised to the Church for his mistakes. First he was imprisoned in Rome and finally in his house at Florence. He was not allowed to meet anybody to discuss the controversial issues and remained isolated for the rest of his life.

The insult and humiliation did not dampen his spirit. He continued to work, and sent his new manuscript about the theory of motion for publication to France secretly. He also received some visitors such as Hobson, the English philosopher and Milton, the English poet in spite of a strict ban. In the end of his life, he became blind and died a restless man.

The church closed all doors for the creation of new knowledge, which relegated the Catholic world into backwardness. On the other hand, free from such religious restriction, the Protestant countries created new knowledge and progressed politically and economically.

Through his lifetime, Galileo was condemned by the church, yet the new knowledge created by the scientists and philosophers overpowered the extremist religious views and transformed the world. In 1992, 350 years after his death, the case of Galileo was reopened by the Catholic Church and the Pope John Paul recognised the error of the church authorities and declared Galileo, the right of his views. This rehabilitation is a triumph of knowledge against faith.

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Education Problems in Pakistan

Education. A name that encourages a human body and give a hope of earning, which is the basic need. In every country, education’s importance is always high. Every parent wants to give their children, a best education. But in Pakistan, problems are taking place day by day. Financial, background and many problems exists here. Knowledge, which is a power of human being. This knowledge comes from education. It makes a man perfect. Education is always helpful for everyone.

Rural Area problems

                The main problem of our country is Education. Especially, in rural areas, almost 90% of people are illiterate. This is because of the ancestors of the particular area. Everyone is involved in farming. The farmers earn money from agriculture and that is the only source for earning money. Why?  Why the level of rural areas are low. This is because no one is there who invests on education. The main role is of government. Government never invests on it. We have to maintain a good environment, a good class in which many children come themselves and learn. But, every parent never forces there child. They born, play with mud potteries. As the time passes, their parents order them to work with them. Every elder son is an asset for every family. Another problem which they face is, low earning. They work so hard but in return they never earn a high penny. This is because they have no knowledge, and just want to fill their bellies. Purchaser comes and purchases their fields in some small amount of money, and then they sold them in high rates. No knowledge means you cannot decide a right one. You just do the things. That’s why it’s important. They always face the problems, either it is of money or of calculations. If anyone wants to learn they always back out because no one is there who motivates them. There are only 10 to 20% of schools in rural areas but accommodation level is 0. We have to work on it. Youngsters help them by social media and the ones who own an authority, work for them and visit there place so that motivation view can be seen.

Intermediate and University time

                The backbone of a student is the time of intermediate level. The most horrible level and this are true because I myself went from that time and I know the tough time. Everywhere, a rush of cheating. The education board Pakistan doesn’t know what going on behind the curtain. The ones who never studied whole year, scoring 80-90% in board exams, and the one who work hard the score not a desired one. Is that fair? Okay this was the problem of the studies and results. Now the University time. 12th class completed, satisfied. Oh wait! Not now. You have to face a disturbing life. Every private university end their admissions before the result of Intermediate. Most of the time, students gets confused that if we apply in a university. And if I fail to score good marks then how will I admit in any university. Once I heard that a boy applied in FAST-NUCES, a top university of Pakistan. He passed aptitude test of the uni but failed in Intermediate Class. What happened? He had a trouble. So, I want to say that every university held there aptitude tests after the result of intermediate.

So these, are the main problems that everyone wants to learn but they have no platform to show their talents. That’s why thousands of talents wasted every year. They always work under an educated man, and they also can’t contact and make a good coordination with the people.

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