Education

Two Medical Universities Under Fire for Extremist Behavior

It seems that Pakistani universities, especially medical ones, are in the news all of a sudden over how they are treating their students.

Two separate incidents in those medical universities in Pakistan have ignited a debate over social media about how these institutions are supposed to behave with their students.

Fined for Chatting

Over at M. Islam Medical and Dental College from Gujranwala, two students were fined Rs. 2000 for ‘standing outside the classroom for chitchat’.

Gossiping outside classrooms in academic institutions is typically discouraged to prevent noise. Banter and yap is for the cafeteria and university grounds. But these students were not fined for disrupting the academic atmosphere. The following photo displays a charge of ‘misconduct’ for having stood with a member of the opposite gender (as implied by some journalists).

The penalty receipt has reportedly been confirmed. The students were “checked by the ex-director”, which indicates the severity of the matter.

The photo has gone viral over the subject of gender segregation in an adult atmosphere. Most people argue that this form of distinction in professional schools would leave students unprepared for future interactions. They insist that it is important for young men and women to learn to speak to the opposite gender in a respectful manner.


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Going Beyond Just Confiscating Cell Phones

In another video from a medical university in Pakistan, the administrative staff is observed hammering cell phones to the point of no return.

Reports and eye witness accounts state that this incident happened at Avicena College in Lahore (viewer discretion is advised for the following video, given its usage of strong language):

It seems no phones were spared in this massacre.

Its not unheard of universities in Pakistan to discourage cell phones and the internet. But the tactics adopted by administration at Avicenna raise eyebrows.

Many Twitter users blogged about the matter. Some call it “dictatorial”. Others think it is “totalitarian”. 

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Published by
Zuha Malik