HEC split over online exams

Decision on hold, VCs to further deliberate today

ISLAMABAD:

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has taken note of the concerns raised by students of some universities that their examinations should be conducted online.

Chaired by Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Dr Tariq Banuri, a high-level meeting of vice chancellors (VCs) held on Wednesday remained indecisive over the demand to keep examinations online. They will meet again on Thursday (today), said a spokesperson.

The apprehensions of students were reviewed carefully in consultation with the VCs of all the provinces and regions, keeping in view the difficulties brought about by the pandemic as well as the opening of universities from February 1.

The official mentioned that the three-hour meeting had ended without a definitive conclusion as the VCs present were split on the decision to hold online examinations while it was noted that some universities had already taken students' final exams online.

Some VCs maintained said that it was difficult to check the actual quality of students' preparation through online exams which would compromise on the reliability of the assessment. It was also argued that as the universities were set to reopen from February 1, there was no need for online examinations.

Others, however, argued in favour of distanced assessments, saying they were the way forward and given the unusual circumstances due to Covid-19 pandemic situation, universities should offer convenience to their students. They noted that the HEC Guidance on Assessment and Examinations released in May 2020 had detailed procedures for precisely this situation.

In this policy, HEC has allowed universities to use their discretion to conduct exams, either on-campus or online as long as the chosen mode provides a fair assessment of students’ performance. It was stated that online examinations can either be used if the universities administer open-book assessments or establish an invigilation system in a supervised environment.

On the other hand, on-campus exams can be used only under strict compliance with all Covid-19 health and safety protocols. However, the meeting could not reach a final decision in this regard and another meeting is set to take place today.

Meanwhile, the students sat outside the HEC office in protest and kept chanting slogans. They lamented that when the classes were online, the assessments should also be done remotely.

“We are not only demanding for online examinations but also asking for a refund on our tuition fee,” they exclaimed.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 28^th, 2021.