Labs and Libraries are for Students, Please!

The chemistry lab incident in Sindh reminds us that our debates are too often about authority, and too rarely about academia.

• We need a cultural shift: backed by evidence, grounded in policy, and demanded by students.

Mohammad Ehsan Leghari

A few days ago, a strange but symbolically powerful incident took place inside a chemistry laboratory at a public university in Sindh. A teacher was reportedly locked inside the lab, and within minutes the incident became social-media fuel. Commentators rushed in to debate procedure, authority, who was right, who was wrong, and whether the administration or staff was at fault. But one thing was glaringly absent from the entire conversation: students. No one asked why the laboratory existed in the first place. No one wondered why our public universities have laboratories that rarely echo with the sounds of experimentation, discovery or student curiosity.

The irony is painful. A laboratory is the heart of scientific learning. A library is the brain of intellectual life. Yet both are increasingly treated as controlled zones; locked, restricted, supervised to the point of paralysis, or shut early due to budget or staffing limitations. The incident in Sindh was not a scandal of personalities; it was a mirror held up to our system, exposing how far we have drifted from the core purpose of higher education: to teach, to explore, to question, to research.

And what makes this drift even more tragic is that we do not lack evidence. Decades of research, both international and Pakistani, tell us that students thrive when they are given real access to laboratories and libraries. The tragedy is that Pakistan keeps ignoring this evidence.

When Students Touch Knowledge, They Learn

Studies from Pakistan have repeatedly shown that student learning improves dramatically when they are allowed to handle scientific equipment, perform experiments, and actively use laboratories. A study in Punjab found that schools where students actually used laboratories outperformed those where labs existed but were locked, under-used or reduced to demonstrations (Dahar & Faize 2011). Another study by Shahzadi, Hassan and Zahid (2023) shows that insufficient laboratory access is directly linked with weak conceptual understanding, especially in science subjects (Shahzadi, Hassan & Zahid 2023).

Read: The Role of Learning Labs in Academic Libraries

Research from Peshawar tells a similar story. Overcrowded labs, limited materials and a “don’t touch anything” culture force students into passive observers rather than emerging scientists (Rafique, Dayan & Asma 2024). Even when equipment exists, whether students are permitted to touch it becomes the decisive factor in learning outcomes (Irshad & Hashmi 2022).

Global research aligns with these findings. A meta-analysis of practical science work shows that students learn more deeply, retain knowledge longer, and feel more motivated when they perform experiments themselves, make mistakes and all, rather than watching demonstrations (Sanjito 2025).

In other words, science cannot be taught from behind a glass cabinet.

And the same applies to libraries. A large U.S. study of undergraduate students found that library use like borrowing, reading, accessing digital databases, late-night study were positively correlated with GPA and academic success (Mayer et al. 2020). A Tanzanian study involving more than a thousand students showed a statistically significant link between library study habits and better academic performance (Tinabo & Bakiri 2025).

Learning happens where students interact with knowledge.

Pakistan’s Universities: A Starved System Shrinking Inward

It is impossible to talk about neglected labs and libraries without confronting the deeper crisis of funding.

Pakistan spends barely 1.5% of GDP on education (Government of Pakistan 2024). Some analyses put education spending even lower in FY2025—around 0.8% of GDP, one of the lowest ratios globally (TheGlobalEconomy.com 2025). Research and development spending, the lifeblood of laboratories, stands at a mere 0.2% of GDP, far behind regional peers (Ahmed 2023).

Pakistan Credit Rating Agency, PACRA’s 2025 education sector analysis notes that while the Higher Education Commission’s budget has grown nominally, its real value remains stagnant, making infrastructure upgrades nearly impossible (PACRA 2025).

Under these chronic shortages: a)equipment cannot be replaced for years, b)consumables are rationed,c) safety and ventilation systems decay, d) journals and databases lapse, e)library hours shrink, f) labs remain locked because staff cannot stay late.

Scarcity breeds fear. Fear breeds restrictions. Restrictions kill learning.

The Governance Gap: When Access Is Not a Priority

The research literature paints a consistent picture: Pakistan’s academic libraries struggle with funding, outdated systems and insufficient staff training (Ashiq, Rehman & Mujtaba 2021; Salman 2023). Management weaknesses: poor planning, unclear policies, limited user services are widespread (Ullah, Khusro & Ullah 2022). Even as digital tools improve, student experience remains uneven (Kiran 2024).

This mismatch between potential and reality becomes especially clear when compared with international trends.

For over two decades, universities in North America and Europe have expanded library operating hours. A seminal study by Curry (2003) documented rising demand for late-night access to libraries, especially among working and commuting students (Curry 2003). Scarletto, Burhanna and Richardson (2013) found that students using libraries at 2 AM or 4 AM were not exceptions; they were often those with jobs, long commutes or difficult home environments (Scarletto, Burhanna & Richardson 2013). Schwieder and Spears (2017) confirmed that overnight access improves equity by supporting students who cannot study during regular hours (Schwieder & Spears 2017).

Meanwhile, in many Pakistani universities, libraries close between 3 pm and 5 pm.

It is a practical decision: limited staff, small budgets but its impact is severe. Extended hours are not a luxury. They are a tool of academic fairness.

“Don’t Touch the Apparatus”: The Most Dangerous Sentence in Pakistani Science

Walk into a laboratory in many public universities and you will hear a phrase that betrays everything a lab is supposed to be:

“Please don’t touch this — it might break.”

This mindset is deeply rooted. Teachers fear damage because budgets cannot replace equipment. Administrators fear responsibility because safety and maintenance systems are weak. This fear turns laboratories into museums; spaces to be admired, not used.

But learning requires risk. Curiosity requires messiness. Science requires mistakes.

The public debated who had the key; no one debated why the lab wasn’t full of students conducting experiments in the first place.

Rebuilding the Learning Culture: Evidence-Based Solutions

Reclaiming laboratories and libraries for students does not require miracles. It requires priorities aligned with evidence.

1. Make student access a measurable performance indicator

Universities should publicly report weekly opening hours, student visits, lab utilization rates and student-led research projects. Better governance alone improves outcomes (Ullah, Khusro & Ullah 2022).

2. Extend library hours, in phased pilots

Evidence from multiple countries shows student outcomes improve when libraries remain open into evenings or late nights (Curry 2003; Scarletto, Burhanna & Richardson 2013; Schwieder & Spears 2017).

3. Guarantee students a “right to experiment”

Pakistani studies make this clear: experimentation improves achievement (Dahar & Faize 2011; Shahzadi, Hassan & Zahid 2023; Rafique, Dayan & Asma 2024).

4. Replace prohibition with safe, supervised access

Structure open-lab hours with proper safety training. International research proves that supervised practical work builds deeper understanding (Sanjito 2025).

5. Transform libraries into learning hubs

Introduce blended study zones, digital training, research support and remote access. Pakistani LIS research strongly supports this transition (Ashiq, Rehman & Mujtaba 2021; Kiran 2024).

6. Tie national funding to real utilisation, not buildings

HEC and provinces should allocate funds based on hours open, students served and research outputs—not merely on construction or procurement (PACRA 2025; Ahmed 2023).

7. Re-set the public narrative

Whenever something happens in a lab or library, the first question must be:

“What does this mean for student learning and research?”

Not keys, not locks, not administrative turf; just learning.

Conclusion

Pakistan’s young population is one of its greatest assets. But young people cannot innovate when their laboratories cannot be accessed, when their libraries close early, when equipment is too “precious” to touch, when learning is treated as a risk rather than a right.

The chemistry lab incident in Sindh was a moment of unintended symbolism. It reminded us that our debates are too often about authority, and too rarely about academia.

We need a cultural shift: backed by evidence, grounded in policy, and demanded by students.

Because the truth is simple, powerful, and long overdue:

Laboratories and libraries are for students.

Please — let us start treating them that way.

References

Ahmed, F. (2023) Pakistan’s Higher Education in Regional Perspective. Islamabad: Institute of Policy Studies.

Ashiq, M., Rehman, S.U. & Mujtaba, G. (2021) ‘Future challenges and emerging role of academic libraries in Pakistan: A phenomenology approach’, Information Development, 37(1), pp. 158–173.

Curry, A. (2003) ‘Opening hours: The contest between diminishing resources and a 24/7 world’, Journal of Academic Librarianship, 29(6), pp. 375–385.

Dahar, M.A. & Faize, F.A. (2011) ‘Effect of the availability and use of science laboratories on academic achievement of students in Punjab’, European Journal of Scientific Research, 51(2), pp. 193–202.

Government of Pakistan (2024) Pakistan Economic Survey 2023–24: Education Chapter. Islamabad: Ministry of Finance.

Irshad, M.I. & Hashmi, M.A. (2022) ‘Analysis of available lab facilities at secondary level’, Global Regional Review, 7(1), pp. 90–101.

Kiran, N. (2024) ‘Academic libraries emerging trends in 21st century’, Pakistan Social Sciences Review, 8(1), pp. 1–15.

Mayer, J. et al. (2020) ‘Undergraduate student success and library use: A multimethod approach’, College & Research Libraries, 81(3), pp. 378–398.

PACRA (2025) Education Sector Research (April 2025). Lahore: Pakistan Credit Rating Agency.

Rafique, S., Dayan, U. & Asma, A. (2024) ‘Experiences of teachers and students in science laboratories’, Journal of Asian Development Studies, 13(2).

Salman, M. (2023) ‘Transforming university libraries in Pakistan’, Qlantic Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 4(1), pp. 19–24.

Sanjito, B.P. (2025) ‘The impact of science practical work on secondary school students’ learning outcomes: A meta-analysis’, Journal of Research in Science, Mathematics and Technology Education.

Scarletto, E.A., Burhanna, K.J. & Richardson, E. (2013) ‘Wide awake at 4 AM’, Journal of Academic Librarianship, 39(5), pp. 371–377.

Schwieder, D. & Spears, L.I. (2017) ‘Studying the night shift’, Evidence Based Library and Information Practice, 12(3), pp. 2–19.

Shahzadi, I., Hassan, K.H.U. & Zahid, F. (2023) ‘Role of laboratories and science teaching material in science teaching’, Journal of Development and Social Sciences, 4(2), pp. 259–264.

TheGlobalEconomy.com (2025) ‘Pakistan – Education spending as % of GDP’.

Tinabo, R. & Bakiri, H. (2025) ‘The impact of library usage on academic performance’, Regional Journal of Information and Knowledge Management, 10(1), pp. 182–200.

Ullah, A., Khusro, S. & Ullah, I. (2022) ‘Library management practices in Pakistan’, Information Technology and Libraries, 41(3).

Read: Governance Unpacked: A Critical Overview

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Mohammad Ehsan Leghari is a water expert, former Member (Sindh), Indus River System Authority, and former Managing Director, SIDA.