It has been seven months since I arrived in the UK to pursue my degree. During this time, I have observed three types of students, particularly from South Asia. However, I will focus on Pakistan because of my positionality as a Pakistani student. This reflection is based entirely on my observations. Out of 100 students, around 70 come for economic reasons, 20 belong to the elite class and do not worry about money, and only 10 percent come with genuine educational aspirations.
Students from middle-class backgrounds often take loans, sell their assets, and carry the responsibility and hopes of their families. To support themselves, they do shifts and sometimes cash-in-hand jobs, which are illegal in the UK. Employers often exploit them because of their situation. As a result, these students have very little time to attend classes or actively participate in their educational journey.
Then there are elite students, whose families have sufficient financial resources and strong positions in Pakistan. These students come with a different mindset. They often judge others based on material things and, due to their upbringing, usually have better English. Some of them mock those whose English is average. They remain occupied with social circles and relationship dynamics within the university. Despite their differences from working students, they share some similarities: they also infrequently attend classes. While working students lack time, elite students often prioritize sleep or social gatherings over it. Even when they attend, many appear disengaged, feeling sleepy, distracted, or present only for attendance.
UK universities have digital attendance systems, and many students share their login details with friends to have their attendance marked. The most shocking experience for me was during my last semester, when I found that some students paid others to complete their assessments. This occurs because they lack time or don’t want to engage critically with their work. I remember speaking to two Pakistani students about their coursework, and they did not even know what their assessments were about.
The remaining 10 percent of students are genuinely engaged in their studies. They are involved in meaningful research and projects that can benefit Pakistan in one way or another. However, they also face significant challenges in creating space for themselves in the era of cultural imperialism.
The real issue is not just academic disengagement. It arises when such students, who hardly attend classes, participate in discussions, or gain meaningful exposure, begin to claim the position of holding degrees such as LLM, bar training, engineering, etc. At this point, our colonial mindset starts demeaning our education system and romanticizing foreign degrees, regardless of the actual knowledge behind them.
These are often the individuals, particularly from elite backgrounds, who can afford to pay for everything, obtain degrees as mere credentials, and then return to Pakistan. They go on to occupy positions of power, sit in our parliaments, courts, and higher institutions, and begin to shape policies. They will say we should learn from the West. And they will tell us what kind of policies we should make. Which law will benefit us? And what kind of curriculum should we follow?
Isn’t this a blatant contradiction?
- Isn’t this a blatant contradiction? - 30/08/2026
