PoK: Higher education remains elusive amid continuous systemic harassment

Aug 04, 2020

Kotli (Pakistan occupied Kashmir), August 04 (ANI): Fraught with both economic and political hurdles, the education system in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) has proven to be a major disappointment. While on one side, the system run by military generals has deliberately denied youths their share of education through its marginalizing designs, the local administration on the other side has ignored the everyday sufferings of the students. A periodic fee hike is one of their biggest concerns but the authorities have not bothered to pay any heed. The university in the region has not only charged them the entire course fee despite lockdown but has also announced a hike. Students have demanded a rollback saying that hike would render double whammy as the economy of households in the region has already been affected severely. With limited schools and an even dismal enrollment, the primary and secondary level education produces a very low number of potential graduates in PoK... but even they suffer systemic assaults. Students this year were made to pay their fee in the name of alternative methods to be adopted by universities to impart education during pandemic lockdown but the authorities didn’t fulfill promise once they received fees in full. Students were made to procure internet connections of their own which was earlier promised otherwise.