-Virus spread nears 190,000 and recoveries close 75,000
By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: The federal government has started mulling over reopening universities after July 15 and formally ordered the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to formulate a policy for the resumption of academic activities, citing sources, media reported on Tuesday.
The federal government has decided not to make any delay in reopening universities and sought a policy from Higher Education Commission (HEC) for resuming the academic sessions.
Sources added that HEC has been directed by the federal government to formulate a comprehensive policy after holding consultation with the varsities’ administrations.
Following the directives, HEC chairman held a meeting with the vice-chancellors of the varsities to seek recommendations for devising standard operating procedures (SOPs).
The universities will be reopened after finalising SOPs by the higher authorities in order to stop the spread of COVID-19 cases besides the resumption of academic activities in the educational institutions across the country. On June 21, the federal government had asked the provincial authorities to come up with their proposals to resume academic activities amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Ministry of Education sought proposals to reopen education institutes on a trial basis in the country. It was decided to convene an inter-provincial conference of education ministers to thrash out a strategy to resume educational activities.
All provinces had been instructed by the ministry to put forward their suggestions by June 23. The ministry had sought suggestions about how to protect students and teachers from the coronavirus contagion.
Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood had announced on May 7 an extension in the closure of all educational institutions until July 15 besides cancellation of board exams till the end of the year due to the spread of COVID-19 infections. The decision had been taken by the National Coordination Committee (NCC). Progressive Students Federation, Baloch Students Alliance, and Revolutionary Students Federation held a protest against online classes at National Press Club Islamabad
The PRSF, BSA, and RSF jointly held a public demonstration to demand the immediate suspension of online classes and exams, allocation of funds for digital infrastructure of the education system, and promotion of students to next semester.
Aunil Muntazir of PRSF emphasized the need for alternative modes of education during the global pandemic which has indiscriminately affected lives across the globe. Our state infrastructure exclusively benefits the people of well to do economic backgrounds while neglecting the students hailing from marginalized segments of our society, he added.
He said, Government and HEC need to take concrete measures to expand internet access and availability in areas where it has been blocked for ages, we ask why high-speed internet is being blocked in Balochistan, ex-Fata and GB and Kashmir? It is critical to end this digital apartheid on the basis of national security. We demand for urgent allocation of resources to expand 3g/4g in these areas, allowing telecom companies to operate internet services there (rather than SCO monopolies), and urgent provision of tablets/phones and internet facilitation centers to students on a needs basis. We strongly demand the HEC to roll back its policy of enforcing the online education system, as the online infrastructure is almost non-existent.
The BSA member, Beebagr Baloch, highlighted the historical negligence of State towards the Baloch nation. During three scores and a decade, a long era of oppression of the State has paralyzed the whole provincial infrastructure. The scarcity of basic necessities like education is exponentially growing on one hand.On the other hand, students who make it to public/private educational institutions of the country, are now faced with another challenge. He demanded the government to immediately suspend online classes until the internet and tech gadgets are provided to all the students unconditionally.
The RSF member, Asif Rasheed narrated the issues students are faced with in border nearing areas like Kashmir. He said that students travel for miles to find a stable internet connection. However, the government has turned its back upon students. He demanded that HEC must take students on board while making critical decisions concerning the future of students.
Punjab recorded 1,365 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of infections across the province to 68,308, according to the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department. A spokesperson for the department said, 60 more people died from coronavirus in the previous 24 hours, taking the total number of fatalities to 1,495 in the province. The number of people recovering from the disease has risen to 19,580, said the spokesperson. A total of 435,187 tests have been conducted in the province.
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) killed 105 more people in the country in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 3,695. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has stressed the need for devising a comprehensive strategy to more effectively implement smart lockdown in the province.
Presiding over a meeting in Peshawar on Tuesday, he said that all the decisions and measures taken by the provincial government aimed to contain the mass scale outbreak of the pandemic and to protect the lives of the common man from Corona. The meeting was informed that at present smart lockdown is implemented in two hundred and forty hotspot areas across the province. Mahmood Khan directed the concerned authorities of all the districts to take the elected representatives on board with regard to the smart lockdown measures.
Governor Punjab Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar has said that people not following Corona SOPs have become dangerous for society. Corona has spread to streets. It can only be avoided by following SOPs. No doubt Corona is infecting those who do not follow the precautions. Are to be a victim of corona or to avoid it, the decision is in the hands of each individual.He said those who follow the SOPs will be able to save themselves from Corona. The government wants to fight Corona as well as save the country from economic problems. The war against Corona has become a war for 220 million Pakistanis.
Talking to a delegation led by MPA Ahmad Khan Bhachar and others which called on him at Governor House Lahore on Tuesday, Ch Sarwar said that unfortunately Corona’s challenge is not only for Pakistan but for the whole world. It has become a huge challenge. The government led by Prime Minister Imran Khan is working hard to rid the country of Corona. People who are not following the SOPs are inviting Corona themselves and such unserious people are becoming a danger to other people as well.
He said that failure to take other protective measures, including masks, is hostile to one’s life. Scholars should play their role in making the people aware of Corona.
