‘Education system failed to socialise youth’
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Experts participating in a consultation stressed that the state and educational institutions should engage the youth by initiating dialogue and promoting critical thinking as the education system had failed to socialise them, creating a vacuum that was being fulfilled by the social media in a negative way.
Academics, political activists, journalists, lawyers and representatives of civil society participating in the consultation on 'Promoting narratives of diversity, inclusion and peace among youth' also called for creating economic opportunities for the youth through technical and real-life learning. The Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) organised the event.
Discussions were held on finding strategies to incorporate religious and ethnic diversity into the education system to improve youths’ social skills to interact in a multicultural setting.
The discussants also explored social media’s influence on youths’ perception of themselves and the world, and impact of misinformation overload on them.
Punjab University Sociology Professor Dr Khalil Ahmad said during the discussion that the government would have to introduce a comprehensive judicious education policy as the present one had failed to socialise the youth. He said it was the primary responsibility of universities to initiate dialogue among students to make them productive citizens. He said there was a need to introduce a mechanism for prudent use of social media.
He also emphasised exchange programmes among universities to promote diversity and inclusion.
Writer Dr Amjad Tufail stressed, “Peace cannot prevail in a society where there is no social justice.”
Former vice chancellor Dr Muhammad Saleem Mazhar underlined the need to teach culture, fine arts, literature and music to the youth to change their behaviour and foster tolerance among them. Centre for Social Justice Research Associate Faaria Khan said there was need for mainstreaming of all religions and genders to inculcate diversity, and inclusion.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 23rd, 2023.