Our education system can produce neither good students nor good citizens: HEC chairman Tariq Banuri

Pakistani universities must be declared autonomous and granted academic independence in order to mold their students into good citizens. The participants of the discussion on higher education in Pakistan on the second day of the Karachi Literature Festival 2022 came to this conclusion,

Speakers during the Fauzia Shamim-moderated session 'Higher Education: Creating Good Citizens, not Just Good Students' acknowledged the need for fundamental improvements in the country's education policy and system.

When asked how Pakistani universities could generate excellent citizens in addition to good students, Chairman of the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) Dr. Tariq Banuri remarked, "We have spoilt our children while our education system concentrates neither on creating good students nor decent citizens."

He claimed that the country has been paying the price for mistakes committed in its educational system over the years.

Dr. Banuri went on to say that when thinking about this issue, one needs examine a number of factors.

The first aspect, according to him, was that knowledge was something that was produced in a community as a whole.

"Knowledge creation is not a solo endeavor; individuals all over the world learn from one another," Dr. Banuri said, adding that human societies established common knowledge that contributed in the creation of shared narratives.

He claimed that there are various types of knowledge, including epistemic knowledge and technical knowledge, to name a few.

According to Dr. Banuri, epistemic knowledge is acquired in the classroom, whereas technical knowledge is obtained through practise, experience, participation, and interaction.

Both epistemic and technical knowledge, according to the HEC chairman, have different orientations and require various techniques in education.

He went on to say that there is a third form of knowledge that's not taught in schools or acquired via practise and experience. He explained that it was the knowledge of justice that could be absorbed only through empathy.

Dr. Banuri said imparting different types of knowledge required different approaches and communication techniques. He added that if we wanted a better and more prosperous society, we should understand the medium of knowledge and the universities had a central role in all these processes.

He suggested that university lecturers may engage students in practises, exercises, and experiences to help them understand the medium of knowledge and become better students and citizens. To achieve this, it was necessary to ensure the autonomy of universities, he remarked.

He advised the teachers and students should keep their struggle continued for the autonomy of varsities, academic freedom and due rights.