HEC Clarifies That It Has No Plans To Close Universities
In the latest Press release by the
Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, the department has clarified that it
is not willing to close the universities. HEC, being the higher authority on
all higher education institutions of Pakistan, has the authority to close down
the universities. In the fear of the second wave of COVID-19, there is fake
news being spread on social media that HEC will force all universities to be
closed once again. But after this press release, it is clear that HEC and the
Government of Pakistan are not willing to stop the process of imparting
education.
COVID-19 And Education in
Pakistan
In Pakistan, all the educational
institutes were closed in March to limit the spread of COVID-19. All the higher
education institutions of Pakistan adopted the online education method and
arranged classes via various digital platforms. Students earned their credit
hours online and appeared in online exams to complete their semesters. The
closing down of all on-campus educational activities in universities was a
unique event in the history of Pakistan and the rest of the world. However,
after the conditions got better and various countries all over the world
started opening educational institutions, the Government of Pakistan also
allowed the universities to start on-campus or hybrid educational activities.
Can HEC Close The
Universities?
After universities of Pakistan
were opened once again, the HEC provided complete guidelines to the
institutions to cope with the condition of COVID-19. All universities have to
make sure that the students who come on campus must follow the SOPs to stop the
spread of the virus. HEC has clarified that it has no intention to force the
institutions to stop their educational activities. However, the district
governments all over Pakistan are in authority to close any educational
institution if the virus spreads in it. Therefore, it is up to the students,
parents, and educational institutions to make sure that COVID-19 SOPs are
followed to limit the spread of the deadly virus. If the situation of the
pandemic gets out of the hands, then HEC and the relevant bodies will close
down the institutions once again.
