In an effort to accelerate remote learning in a safe and secure environment, Microsoft is supporting the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan by deploying “Teams” for official online and remote learning interactions across more than 100 public and private universities.
Uncertainty looms over the reopening of educational institutions across the country, as the provincial and Federal governments have failed to agree on potential dates for easing the lock-down and resuming academic sessions.
The COVID-19 has threatened to make education outcomes worse and without aggressive policy, the outbreak across the world will have immediate costs on both learning and the health of children and youth, warns the World Bank.
Vice-Chancellors have expressed their full commitment to making online classes and e-learning a success amidst the closure of universities in the wake of situation created due to COVID-19 crisis.
The Government College University Lahore will resume online classes after the training of its teachers and quality control of courses. This will help the students in timely competition of graduation if the lockdown of universities is extended beyond May 31, 2020, due to coronavirus crisis.
Punjab Higher Education Commission will facilitate universities and colleges to develop comprehensive plans, implementation strategies, and capacity building programs for the promotion of online teaching and courses.
The University of Agriculture Faisalabad has handed over 40 medical kits among the staff of the university medical center in order to safeguard them from COVID- 19.
UNICEF has expressed concerns that about 430 million children affected by school closures in South Asia due to COVID-19 crisis are now in danger of dropping out of the education system.
Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi has met Punjab Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar at the Governor’s House Lahore and briefed him about the initiatives taken by the Government College University in the fight against Coronavirus.