ISLAMABAD: The closure of the public and private universities in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic may extend beyond July 15, according to the minutes of a meeting of the varsities heads that was chaired by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Dr Tariq Banuri.
“The future scenario is uncertain and the closure of universities till July 15, 2020, could be extended. “This has necessitated decisions and steps on part of both HEC and universities with regard to online teaching, examinations, and admissions,” it was said during the meeting.
Moreover, the heads of universities decided that all higher educational institutes will announce their policies on examinations and admissions within one week.
The meeting held at the Higher Education Commission (HEC) decided that the “special problems faced by the graduating students will be addressed” as well. The HEC will set up an appellate system to follow up on student complaints, it added.
HEC Chairman Dr Tariq Banuri said the purpose of examinations is to reward students for actions that would make them successful in their future lives.
Responding to a question promotion of students without exams, he said, “Examinations and assessments are an integral part of the teaching process. Attempts to eliminate exams will have severe repercussions for educational quality and student achievement.”,
“Only fake degree mills issue degrees and certificates without verification,” he added.
Sharing their views on the occasion, the Vice-Chancellors appreciated HEC for its proactive approach towards the impending academic hardships in the wake of lockdown and closure of universities. They agreed to come up with their examination policies, based on natures of examinations, aligned with their respective feasibility scenarios and needs of students.
All efforts must be made to sustain educational activities during this difficult period, so as to minimize any disruption in the academic calendar. HEC directed universities to formulate and publicly announce transparent policies on how they would conduct examinations at the end of the Corona-affected semester, they urged.
“A clear policy is also needed on admissions in the light of the recent decisions by examination boards to announce results on the basis of past exams,” the meeting agreed.
The HEC chairman stated that Pakistan was passing through a national emergency and the HEC and universities, in their capacities, are committed to providing public service by fulfilling their obligations.
The chairman said students had raised a number of concerns, including those about the quality of online instruction, the issues of connectivity faced by some of them, and uncertainty with regard to examinations.
