conclusion of online education in Pakistan universities..??..
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Over the past few weeks, protests have been held in at least 36 Pakistani towns and cities as students have demanded that the federal government prevent universities from resuming academic sessions via online classes. On Wednesday, several students in Quetta were arrested for protesting the plan.
The country’s Higher Education Commission has maintained that going digital is the only way forward amidst the pandemic. But student leaders have said that the plan reflects the “state’s callous patronage of digital divide in the country”.
The most vociferous opposition against the online classes is coming from the students who live in the remote areas of the country – Gilgit Baltistan, Balochistan, and the region that bordersAfghanistan. They point out that their hometowns do not have electricity, let alone internet services. Online classes and examinations are not accessible for them, putting them at a disadvantage with students from larger cities.
The latest available figures from the official Pakistan Telecommunication Authority from a survey in November 2019 showed that only 36.2% of the country’s population has internet access – and that includes users who are using internet through 2.5 G or EDGE. According to the internet coverage map, severalparts of Balochistan, Gilgit Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhuwa lack internet coverage.
The country’s Higher Education Commission has said that it is in discussions with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and Federal Education Ministry to improve internet services and provide them to students cheaply..
“Any student who does not wish to study through online means should be allowed to withdraw and freeze his/ her semester,” said commission spokesperson Khaliq Dad. He said the authority has consistently taken the view that online classes should not be imposed unilaterally, but should be made available only for those who share the commitment to education and wish to continue to engage in the educational process.
But for students like Khurshid, statements like this don’t solve any problems. “With universities closed and online classes not an accessible option what should the student do then?” he asked. “The HEC doesn’t have answer to that question.”
Despite the protests, Pakistan’s biggest public sector university, Karachi University, has started its online classes.