We have, as students, been at the receiving end of the whims and fancies of several statutory bodies and college administrations over the past few years. Even though we are the most important stakeholders when it comes to the education we receive, our opinions have been dismissed or ignored on countless occasions.
Several issues plague our campuses today. From outdated curriculum to irresponsible administrations, discriminatory spaces, archaic sexist norms like different hostel curfews for male and female students, and the list goes on.
In the recent past, students have asserted themselves like never before. From the Hokkolorob movement in 2014, where students from Jadavpur University demanded the Vice-Chancellor’s resignation to Pinjra Tod, where female students in Delhi university and other educational institutions around the country asked for discriminatory and sexist rules to be scrapped. Students at FTII had also protested relentlessly to ensure that the quality of their education wasn’t compromised.
It’s high time, don’t you think? It’s high time we make our voices heard. It is time that we talk about how we think our campuses can become better and safer. The campuses we study in, become our homes for a good 3-5 years. In some cases, even more. Why shouldn’t we then be critical of it, so that we can make it better for ourselves, and for those who will come after we have left.
If you’re someone who is not happy with the way things function on your campus, share your stories with us. Tell us also about how your college is doing things right, and how others can learn from it.
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