HEC facilitating online learning: Banuri

ISLAMABAD: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Dr Tariq Banuri on Thursday said that the commission was taking all possible steps for betterment of faculty and students.

He made these remarks while taking note of a statement by Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) representatives to boycott online classes. Teaching online classes is a matter between the university and individual faculty members, Banuri said in a statement. Students who do not wish to study through online means should be allowed to withdraw and freeze their semester.

HEC pressurises varsities to start online classes

Likewise, faculty member who feels unequipped to teach online courses should be allowed to go on leave or assigned other duties at the universities’ discretion. The issues have been discussed repeatedly with FAPUASA representatives in the past, and can be discussed again. However, the final decisions are made in accordance with HEC’s mandate of enhancing access, quality, and relevance of education and research in the country.

In response to the coronavirus outbreak, HEC has circulated a number of prudential guidelines to protect the health and safety of the students and faculty members as well as the continuity of the learning process.

HEC and the universities have also initiated steps to overcome the difficulties that emerged including the connectivity issues faced by students, and the teething problems of delivering good quality education through the new medium of online instruction.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 19^th, 2020.