- Since childhood, we have been hearing that education is the only tool to succeed in life. This is very true that education leads to success. It makes us civilized and brings us out from extremism, stupidity and violence.
But what if education is stopped, and educators are made sit at homes. Surely, it will impact our careers, or rather the community at large.
Due to COVID-19 everything in the country is closed for precautionary measures. This is appreciable that such timely measures are taken to fight against corona virus but the thing which is indigestible is opening of public markets, areas and closing the schools and relevant institutions.
This might be that corona only attacks schools, because if it were not so why only schools are kept closed excluding all public places and markets?
Similarly, public transportations are opened, shopping malls are opened where people are more in contact. Even I myself have witnessed people in crowds not following Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) like not wearing masks and gloves. But it still seems fine with the government.
Moreover, constraints on schools, especially private schools, have made many private teachers sit at homes. Their families harshly survive because only source to their income was teaching which is now ceased for an unknown time period. And more sadly, government is doing nothing to facilitate the private school teachers.
Besides this, the sufferings through which students are going is worth concerning. They have almost no contact with their courses, half of the students are distended from what they studied.
Who stands responsible for these terrible losses? For sure, one name comes in everybody’s mind; the government.
On the other hand, government directed Higher Education Commission_ the higher education regulatory department_ to commence online classes so students’ time shall not go wasted. No doubt, it is a great initiative and I along every educationist aperciate this step.
But something shall be kept in mind before managing online classes. Do we have internet facilities countrywide? Do we have trained staff to commence online classes? Can we really convince the students on their syllabus with online education?
What I think we have nothing. Especially when we talk about Balochistan, we neither have internet access nor trained staff.
To be specific, we have such areas in Balochistan where mobile network is not available. And having no mobile network how can we think of access to online classes through internet? But unfortunately, there is nobody to listen to the cries of students.
Hopefully, Adv. Kamran Murtaza, Adv. Ali Ahmed kurd along with other young lawyers of Balochistan challenge HEC’s decision to commence online classes in Balochistan High Court. They have already submitted a petition against this decision.
Consequently, government formed a committee to sit and make table talk for reopening schools, colleges and universities by following SOPs. The next meeting to be chaired by the committee is kept on July 7, 2020, where the decision will be made whether to reopen the educational institutions or not.
To conclude, no doubt COVID-19 is a deleterious pandemic and we should protect ourselves by staying at homes but if we stay at home with educating then this would make us sit forever.
If shoping malls, public places and restaurants can be opened by following SOPs then why not schools, colleges and universities?