SUKKUR:
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan announced online university classes. However, merely asking students to shift to an online platform is not enough. It is necessary to create a whole new framework before such a radical change is enforced.
Considering the importance of preparation, students must spend time reading before an examination, like athletes undergo training sessions and singers prepare their vocal cords. However, the need for training of undergoing online education remains missing in universities across Pakistan. Although teachers in private universities seem to have a lot of professional commitment, their lack of exposure to the virtual world becomes apparent when trying to impart knowledge to students online, thus leaving the students to suffer. However, the concern is comparatively massive in the public sector universities, with teachers not only lacking in experience but also in dedication and commitment.
The government’s initiative to embark on online varsity classes is akin to someone buying a new car without knowing how to drive it. Access to the internet is the issue faced by majority of the students in many parts across the country. Furthermore, it has been noted that students find it hard to understand scientific, analytical and statistical subjects online. Far from grasping the complexity of courses, the students are mentally drained without gaining much in return. Social divide is also a serious hindrance as not all students have the luxury of separate rooms or a quiet space inside their homes. The electricity situation is one of the problems adding to the woes in the sizzling summer.
The HEC must realise the ramifications facing the university students. Instead of citing examples from the developed countries, the government must come up with workable pragmatic solutions suiting the conditions in Pakistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 19th, 2020.
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