HEC Issues Guidelines For Online Exams; Shafqat Mahmood ‘happy’

Days after protests caught pace against on-campus examinations, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has allowed universities to conduct online exams with adequate safeguards.

In this regard, Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood has on Wednesday expressed his happiness over the the decision of HEC to allow universities to conduct online exams.

Taking to Twitter, Mahmood wrote that he is “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 the right procedures quickly to do so. Education standards must be kept up. Work hard students and wish you the best,” the minister wrote.

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

Earlier in a day, via detailed thread, the HEC has announced it has taken notice of students’ concerns regarding the in-person examination.

“The apprehensions of students were reviewed 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.”

HEC Guidance on Examinations is available at https://t.co/Ze9UAxNdPS. In this policy, HEC already allowed universities to use their discretion to conduct exams, either on-campus or online as long as the chosen mode provides a fair assessment of students’ performance.

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— HEC Pakistan (@hecpkofficial) January 27, 2021

On-campus exams can be used only under strict compliance with all Covid-19 health and safety protocols. Universities may also have to organize make-up classes for two weeks in case students consider the course coverage to be deficient.

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— HEC Pakistan (@hecpkofficial) January 27, 2021

The HEC Guidance on Online Readiness (#5) and Assessments and Examinations (#6) are available on HEC website and provide the requirements and minimum standards to be observed by universities.

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— HEC Pakistan (@hecpkofficial) January 27, 2021

The HEC carefully considered the concerns raised by students of some universities and the concerns of students in consultation with the Vice Chancellors of all the provinces.

According to the education commission, universities should take online exams only if they have an open book exam system or a system that can monitor students taking the exam.

It may be recalled that universities in Pakistan have been opening for on-campus education since February 1. The HEC says that since March 2020, the commission has been monitoring the Coronavirus pandemic situation and working with universities to minimize student harm.

However, all instructions in this regard are available on the HEC website.