After days-long protests by students all over Pakistan, HEC finally allowed universities across the country to hold online examinations.
Hundreds of students of various educational institutes of the city under the slogans of “Justice for the Students” had been protesting for the last two weeks against the decision to conduct on-campus examinations.
A day earlier, protests by students in Punjab against on-campus examinations took an ugly turn as several students were severely injured by the security guards of a private university in Lahore. Two students in critical condition hospitalized.
In addition to this, the HEC said that it has taken notice of students’ concerns regarding the in-person examination. Furthermore, they said that we reviewed the apprehensions of students carefully; in consultation with the vice-chancellors of all the provinces and regions, keeping in view the difficulties brought about by the pandemic and opening of universities from February 01, 2021.
Shafqat Mahmood expressed his happiness over Twitter saying he was “happy to note that HEC has formally allowed the universities to conduct online exams with adequate safeguards”.
I am happy to note that HEC has formally allowed the universities to conduct online exams with adequate safeguards. This paves the way for them to devise right procedures quickly to do so. Education standards must be kept up. Work hard students and wish you the best pic.twitter.com/8jgLKedivp
— Shafqat Mahmood (@Shafqat_Mahmood) January 27, 2021
Moreover, Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood insisted students to work hard wishing them all the best. He also said that this paves the way for them to devise the right procedures quickly to do so. In addition, the Universities must keep up the education standards.