How good are we?

The fact that women continue to outperform men in nearly every sector of education, speaks of their dedication

Having standards is usually a good thing. Particularly when it comes to education, maintaining a certain level of quality is something that we all can agree on. Unfortunately, these days, the only standards universities seem to be interested in are the ones imposed by the moral brigade and the dress code police. That too like so many other rules, apply almost exclusively to women. The arbitrary rules on who female students can speak to (or not), and what kind of clothes they can and should wear, and how they should conduct themselves are the latest edition of the bizarre edicts announced by universities across the land. The fact that women continue to outperform men in nearly every sector of education, despite our continued effort to create new hurdles, speaks of their dedication just as much as it says a lot about the passivity of the rest of society.

Beyond the above-mentioned absurdity that is engulfing several Pakistani universities these days, there are other questions that require a more serious thought. How do we know that our students are getting quality education? The issue of quality is too important to be relegated to newspapers in the UK or China to rank. The case in point is not about a number that defines the institution, it is about the skills and capabilities of those who go into the real world, hopefully with the mission to change it for the better. So, how do we know how good our students are? Some would argue that admissions to institutions of global stature abroad is a sign that our students are globally competitive. That may be true, but the number of students who get admissions into highly prestigious institutions is a small fraction of the total student body, and while it is a useful metric that should be tracked over time, it is far from complete.

Some may suggest that accreditation from national organisations, such as the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), could be used as a metric of a high standard. That unfortunately is not a particularly strong argument either. The PEC and other accreditation organisations have not embraced innovation, creativity and changing trends, and seem to be out of touch with ground realities in education and research. Not to mention that while the demographics in universities are changing, with greater participation of female students, the nearly 40-member governing council of the PEC is nearly 100 per cent male. There is also wide distrust among engineering institutions of the capabilities of the PEC and what that accreditation really means.

The question, worth asking is, therefore, about a better metric or set of metrics about the quality. I believe that no one metric can be all encompassing, but a set of data, from a variety of sources can be revealing. The first piece of information is asking the university alums about their training and preparation in the workforce (or graduate institution). How well, in their opinion, were they trained to meet the demands of the workplace or graduate institution? Connecting the alums to the continued growth of the institution is not only important for the improvement process, it is also good practice to build a network of dedicated ambassadors. Similarly, getting data from the employers about the suitability and preparation of the graduates will also help. Creating a culture of peer evaluation, conducted not by an overly bureaucratic structure, but by trusted colleagues in peer institutions, will also guide the institution towards higher standards and quality assurance. This, combined with information about student placement, acceptance to institutions of high repute and tracking professional progress, will provide a richer picture of quality, competitiveness and areas of improvement.

However, none of the above-mentioned tools will work without the magic sauce of self-reflection and honesty with ourselves. We need to honestly and rigorously assess teaching, curriculum and pedagogy within our own institutions to realise where we are failing, what we are not doing right and how we are preparing our students for a more complex and demanding world. Aspiring for the highest quality is not about bragging rights, but about a fundamental moral responsibility that is the very spirit of education.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17^th, 2016.

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