No practicals: A year without lab work left students with learning gaps
The coronavirus pandemic, which has impacted the education sector across the country, also hindered practical trainings and lab work in schools, colleges and universities. Owing to which thousands of students, having attended no real lab sessions in the past one year, will be joining the workforce with a significant gap in practical knowledge.
The lack of practical classes in educational institutions, especially for students of the natural sciences, has emerged as a serious cause for concern within academia. University subjects such as physics, biochemistry, biotechnology, microbiology and biomedical sciences, taught in engineering and medical programmes, are considered to be incomplete without laboratory work.
However, the authorities in charge have not as yet been able to formulate a clear strategy to cover the resulting lacunas for various science subjects.
In the absence of laboratory access under Covid-19 restrictions, most university students in the province were compelled to clear practical exams through digital means.
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Speaking in this regard, NED University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Harshmat Lodhi, was of the opinion that although lack of practical work is not too damaging for the faculty of engineering, his varsity still made all possible efforts to ensure the continuity of education. “We have provided our students access to videos of all lab experiments, to supplement the knowledge gap. In addition to that, each virtual lab session was aided with ample theoretical lectures in the regard, while the grading was done on the basis of verbal assessments,” the Vice Chancellor told.
The situation is graver in the faculty of medical sciences.
Owing to Covid-19 restrictions, many MBBS students were barred from examination and ward work, which in turn obstructed promotions of various batches.
According to Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU) Vice Chancellor Dr Tariq Rafi, practical work is obligatory for all students of medicine. But since medical wards have remained inaccessible to students due to Covid-19 and many have not inspected a human body the whole year, the university has taken the decision to delay promotions until the said requisites can be met. “Since we could not conduct exams without wards, students due for graduation in November of 2020, will have to be held [back] for a few months. If the situation improves and universities reopen from February 2021, the students will have the opportunity to clear their missing exams by March or April, and qualify for a 2021 graduation,” said the JSMU vice chancellor.
On the other hand, students in the field of sciences such as pharmacy, chemistry, zoology, botany and chemical sciences, have also been offered virtual walk-throughs of experiments in lieu of actual lab work.
Speaking on the matter, Karachi University Dean of Pharmacy Dr Fayyaz Waeed acknowledged the significance of in-lab practical work, which he believes is imperative to the study of pharmacy. “We usually base our curriculum around lab work, but this academic year has been the most perplexing with Covid-19 on the loose. We are not entirely sure if we’ll be able to cover the gap in studies by the next semester. However, we are hoping to conduct special ‘deficiency courses,’ during summer vacations, which will hopefully supplement last season’s labs,” the dean told The Express Tribune.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 18th, 2021.