Combatting Religious Extremism in Pakistan from the Youth Perspective

The rise of Islam, which emerged as a panacea for the world problems is seen as a problem itself by the west today. The reason for this blame is the rise of extremism and Islam phobia in the western societies. This has serious implicat-ions for personal, communal, national and international security. The involve-ment of youth in extremist exertions is very high. They are being more action-oriented, easy to be influenced by radical ideologies and as an agent for thrus-ting social change.  Keeping in consideration the role of youth in adopting to or combatting extremism, it is imperative to find the perception of this important population about the problem under investigation. The research study was conducted in six universities in the federal capital Islamabad to reach to the youth’s population. The research was guided by research questions that aimed at exploring students’ perception about extremism and its various dimensions. The researcher collected data through an open-ended questionnaire from 1840 students to seek an in-depth understanding of the problem. In order to increase credibility in the findings, the researcher conducted focused group interview with 12 young faculty members. The data from the questionnaires were conver-ted into percentages based on common themes. The interview data set were thematically analyzed to understand the causes of extremism and its suggested solutions. Recommendations were suggested to tackle the menace of extremism in Pakistan.  

School Improvement Program: A Case Study

The purpose of this study was to examine the key factors associated with sustaining an effective educational program. This study set out to explore the question, What lessons can be learnt from the school improvement program initiated at a school in Karachi? The study was a descriptive case study of one exemplary program in a school in Karachi. A naturalistic, responsive inquiry approach was employed through in-depth interviews, combined with documents, reviews and observation as data source. The key participants included the school principal, a head-teacher, professional development teachers (PDTs), head of the departments (HODs.), teachers, parents, and the Human Resources Officer to the program. The participants were interviewed in person for approximately 30-60 minutes. Findings of the study reveals that shared leadership, or collaboration, has a major influence on the institutionalization of a program and must not be overlooked as an important factor in sustaining a program. School personnel at all levels should be engaged in the partnership if it is to be sustained. The support and enthusiasm of the principal and the headteacher for collegiality and collaboration are especially important to the school staff at the initial stages. Central office support of a collaboration effort is also essential for setting goals, determining desired outcomes, and setting directions that lead to acceptance by others at the local school and community network of education system. This program had a focus on developing the leadership potential of the head-teacher. Head-teachers do not always recognize these qualities in themselves and need encouragement to become leaders. Because values are central to successful leadership, emotional and cognitive development and intra as well as interpersonal skill development, recognizing the intimate link between the personal and the professional, between the development of the individual and of the organization, is paramount. Finally problem solving and managing competing Dissertation Abstracts MEd V Class of 2002 26 forces must be key components of leadership training if schools are to become high achieving learning communities.