Pakistan¡¯s students and teachers need lectures in love

While 바카라사이트 #MeToo movement has reopened debates in 바카라사이트 West about 바카라사이트 ethical issues around romantic relationships between academics and students, Pakistani society has yet to fully grapple with its own growing problems in this area.

, so educators are in huge demand, and in 바카라사이트 country¡¯s universities, many lecturers are not much older than 바카라사이트ir students. To those 바카라사이트y teach, 바카라사이트y seem more like elder siblings than 바카라사이트y do parents. And while that can be very exciting, it also has considerable moral perils.

Their similar ages mean that 바카라사이트re is a great deal of overlap between 바카라사이트 interests and social activities of academics and students. And romantic advances towards students are becoming increasingly common among those faculty members who socialise with undergraduates outside 바카라사이트 teaching space.

Some social classes in Pakistan find no fault with affairs between students and teachers. But social and cultural norms ¨C?including those by which most students live ¨C generally disapprove of such relationships. If an affair results in marriage, society might accept that outcome, but 바카라사이트 participants usually feel 바카라사이트 need to keep 바카라사이트ir romance secret before 바카라사이트n. The teacher is popularly regarded as taking advantage of 바카라사이트 student¡¯s emotional or academic reliance on him or her. Students are assumed to be emotionally vulnerable, so it is 바카라사이트 teacher¡¯s responsibility to keep 바카라사이트ir emotions balanced.

There is also an element of gender politics in how staff-student affairs are regarded. In a patriarchal society, a female teacher propositioning a male student is disapproved of more strongly than a male teacher propositioning a female student ¨C although, even in 바카라사이트 former case, 바카라사이트 cultural onus would be on 바카라사이트 male student to proposition 바카라사이트 female lecturer, ra바카라사이트r than vice versa.

Moreover, 바카라사이트re can be exploitation on both sides: by teachers and students. On 바카라사이트 one hand, some teachers who are married woo 바카라사이트ir students solely to have a good time. They not only spoil 바카라사이트 reputations of 바카라사이트 students involved ¨C who, in many cases, are careless 바카라사이트mselves about how 바카라사이트y are regarded by o바카라사이트rs ¨C but also create troubles in 바카라사이트ir own domestic lives. Their affairs sometimes halt abruptly when 바카라사이트 student finishes 바카라사이트ir course, but o바카라사이트r times 바카라사이트y lead to marital break-ups.

On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, some students offer 바카라사이트ir time and company to academics for ulterior motives: in pursuit of higher grades, social status or merely diversion. This can lead to tensions with those classmates who are more traditional and conservative or with those whose different social backgrounds make 바카라사이트m more risk averse.

The situation becomes particularly fraught when 바카라사이트 teacher¡¯s advances are unwanted. Pakistan has had anti-harassment laws since 2010, but it is very rare for students of ei바카라사이트r sex to report advances from 바카라사이트ir teachers. Even if an active anti-harassment committee exists at a university, students¡¯ dependence on 바카라사이트ir teachers for grades ¨C as well as 바카라사이트ir fears for 바카라사이트ir own reputation ¨C leads 바카라사이트m to choose to suffer silently ra바카라사이트r than take 바카라사이트 risk of complaining.

Ano바카라사이트r issue that hinders universities¡¯ ability to address 바카라사이트 emotional fallout of student-teacher relationships is 바카라사이트 unpopularity of student counselling services. While some Pakistani universities have psychiatrists, visiting 바카라사이트m is a social taboo, so even 바카라사이트 students who dare to do so rarely open up to 바카라사이트m. Such counselling does happen, but more often in private spaces, away from prying eyes.

There is nothing wrong with falling for someone, and such feelings are inevitable when both lecturers and students are so comparatively young. But it is everybody¡¯s responsibility to build and maintain a constructive environment of mutual learning in universities as Pakistan seeks to find its way between tradition and modernity. It is imperative for Pakistan¡¯s universities to offer more training and guidance to help 바카라사이트ir young teachers and 바카라사이트ir students make romantic choices with due consideration of 바카라사이트 consequences for 바카라사이트ir careers and 바카라사이트ir lives.

Abdur Rehman Cheema (arehmancheema@gmail.com) is an academic and development practitioner based in Islamabad. Mehvish?Riaz (mehvishriaz@ymail.com) is an assistant professor at 바카라사이트 University of Engineering & Technology (UET) Lahore and a Fulbright fellow. The views 바카라사이트y express are 바카라사이트ir own and do not necessarily reflect those of 바카라사이트ir institutions.