Traumas faced by students

In the aftermath of the Bacha Khan University incident, the mental health of students is at risk due to the terror threat and horrifying environment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). Each and every educational institution is greatly concerned with their students’ security after the attacks on Army Public School, Peshawar, on December 16, 2014 and Bacha Khan University, Charssada, on January 20.

The higher authorities of educational institutions demanded advanced security measures, to ensure the safety of students.

This newly emerging environment is creating new dimensions of thought for students as well as those responsible for their safety. Visibly increased security is promoting continuous thoughts of insecurity in the students' minds. It is making them alert against for any kind of terrorist attack at any given time. Such a fearful environment is far from conducive for the development of a creative mindset.

Students at the university level are worried too and distracted by rumours on social media, that the future target of the terrorists will continue to be universities, despite the fact that this news is not confirmed. Female students of the universities are affected the most and some of them even decided to quit their studies, as they were unable to concentrate in such a tense scenario.

“We are less concerned with our studies nowadays and more with the threat because of tense security situation in the entire province,” said the female students of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University, Peshawar.

Faculty members of all universities and colleges are facing difficulties in providing the students with reassurance. One lecturer from a city district college said that most students remained absent from the college because of the uncertainty created by the recent attacks. Rumours of impending attacks do the rounds daily. She also added that teaching in such condition requires greater skills and passion from faculty members because only they can ensure that positive mindset prevails in the classroom.

There is a need for policy-making at the government level to introduce such kind of activities in educational institutions that divert the students feelings from fear to feelings of creativity. Drills only create more panic amongst students and remind them that there is a threat to this institution. Such kind of trainings should be limited to security personnel and students should not be involved. Some institutions conduct mock exercises and drills without informing students prior to carrying them out. Thus, the result is widespread horror.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 11^th, 2016.