- Not an option for everyone
As with every other aspect of life, education is also suffering due to the coronavirus pandemic. With schools and universities closed, teachers and students have no other option but to adapt and continue studies through virtual learning. However, in a country like Pakistan, this is easier said than done. Granted, a lot of families can afford to live in areas where there is Internet, and it can also be ensured by spending a little more money that the connection remains uninterrupted to avoid abrupt disconnection owing to perennial load shedding that gets worse in the summers that are now here. But a lot of lower-middle class families do not have these privileges. To begin with, the equipment required to access the online lectures, personal computers and laptops, are quite expensive, even if they are used. And even if somehow procured, with no Internet services available in remote areas where many students live, the machine is practically useless. These problems perhaps affect university students more than schoolgoing children as the former cannot skip classes or semesters as easily as the latter- the fallout is more severe.
A student from Bajaur district in the tribal areas filed a petition in the IHC in April, highlighting the lack of Internet access in the region that had adversely affected his performance in exams. According to the Deputy Attorney General, services were restored there shortly after. But there are many other areas facing similar issues that cannot wait for a petition to be heard by the higher judiciary so that it may direct the government to do something. Had the federal and provincial governments, in collaboration with the HEC (Higher Education Commission) anticipated these obvious pitfalls themselves and sought to avoid them, students from former FATA and other far-flung areas would have been better off. Semesters are now ongoing with delivery of lectures through the Internet not reaching all students. If it is going to take time to lay the infrastructure to provide Internet in areas where it is not currently available, then the government must make special arrangements for all students affected by this. If the entire country can be opened up for the sake of the economy, then surely a partial opening of some campuses to cater to students who cannot access learning facilities from their homes is doable and not asking for much. Students should not have to freeze their semesters due to poor infrastructure and slow governance.
