Schools, varsities go online sans govt approval

While the government is still mulling over a response to the ballooning coronavirus cases, some of Sindh’s private schools, colleges, and universities have taken the liberty to shift from on-campus to virtual classes without twiddling thumbs for formal approval.

Citing increased risk of a viral spread and complaints from faculty, the institutions that have gone online, believe that their prompt decision has been in the best interest of their staff and students.

Karachi’s Habib University is among the first varsities to have closed campus and shifted entirely to virtual learning during the fifth wave of Covid-19. Similarly, various schools and colleges including Mama Parsi, Bayview Academy, Nixor College, and others have also switched to online classes.

Parents of students admitted at these institutions however believe that the decision to switch to online learning was abrupt, and they were not given enough time to prepare for the transition. “We were just sent a circular one day, informing us that physical classes have been suspended and all learning will be online until further notice,” expressed one agitated parent.

Similarly, a teacher speaking on conditions of anonymity said that although the school she teaches at is still conducting classes on campus, her son’s school has switched to online learning. “In previous waves, my workplace and my son’s school would both follow government directives, but now my schedule has been entirely thrown off,” she lamented.

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A second-year student from Habib University, also speaking on conditions of anonymity, expressed that he has taken all of his three semesters online so far. “We had our last physical class on 13th January, and then we were told that the university is going online. It was nice to get a short break from online classes, and experience on-campus life, but the pandemic has once again forced us back into our homes,” he told.

Whereas another student from a private-sector university located in Clifton said that as many as 90 students have allegedly tested positive for Covid-19 at her institution, but the management has remained adamant about waiting for the government’s orders. “It’s insane how we are still being forced to come in person to take our final exams, while those students that have tested positive for coronavirus are being asked to defer their exams and pay extra for re-examination later. Owing to this, a lot of coronavirus-positive students are hesitant of disclosing their status to the university and are coming to campus still sick and contagious,” the master’s student claimed.

Speaking in this regard, Universities’ Charter Inspection and Evaluation Committee Chief Dr Tariq Rafi said that at present there is no government policy regarding the closure of educational institutions. “Though the current variant of Covid-10 is definitely spreading fast, the death toll is much lower than in previous waves while the hospitals are not so busy at the moment,” he told, adding that the monitoring body will definitely probe private universities about their decision to switch to online classes without the government’s approval.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 19^th, 2022.