In recent years, the steady decline in the quality of higher education in Pakistan has become a matter of grave concern. While many factors, like underfunded institutions, outdated curricula and politicised administration, contribute to this erosion, one silent but significant culprit is often ignored: the way we assess our students. If education is the backbone of a nation, then assessments are its nervous system. And right now, that system is deeply broken.

The rot begins with the very structure of our examinations. In a growing number of universities, assessments have been reduced to online multiple-choice quizzes, conducted through cellphones, with open internet access and no meaningful monitoring in place.

The implications are devastating. When students realise they can pass courses through search engines, group chats or AI tools, they have little reason to engage deeply with the material.

The incentive to develop conceptual clarity, analytical reasoning or technical competence disappears. This breeds not only intellectual laziness but also a........

© The Express Tribune