UGC Says Only Online Classes Allowed During Shutdown

UGC Says Only Online Classes Allowed During Shutdown

When more and more education institutions across the planet are choosing test-optional decisions to supply aspirant undergraduate students with greater flexibility due to the Covid-19 pandemic, education regulators in Bangladesh have come up with an opposing move, causing irritation among stakeholders.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Monday urged universities to prevent admissions, online examinations, and evaluations during the time of coronavirus, but to continue online classes only.

 

UGC Says Only Online Classes Allowed During Shutdown

The Bangladesh government imposed a nationwide general holiday on March 26 to stop a proliferation of the infection and every one educational institutions have remained closed since St Patrick's Day .

In light of things , the University Grants Commission (UGC) on March 23 urged all universities to continue classes online while asking them to pack up to curb the spread of the pandemic.

Complying with the instruction and providing flexibility for college kids , most private universities began taking classes online in order that their academic activities weren't hampered.

The situation is analogous in many countries across the planet .

During the admission season, many colleges and universities are temporarily adjusting to circumstances and relaxing admission requirements for undergraduate admission to assist aspiring students bridge over the extraordinary challenges they're facing amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The disease has already killed over 76,000 people across the planet .

In Bangladesh also, some universities deferred admission tests while others decided to enrol students for the summer semester with none admission tests on the idea of only their SSC and HSC results.

Some universities also are assigning grades to students without holding semester finals during a bid to possess their semester come to an end. they're determining the grades supported available semester assessments to save lots of the scholars from getting caught during a sessions jam.

However, the UGC decided to travel against the choice and ordered universities to prevent admissions, online examinations, and evaluations. Only online classes would continue, UGC officials said.

“Despite the shutdown amid the Covid-19 crisis, many private universities have shamefully initiated the procedure for enrolling students for the summer semester,” the UGC said in its statement on Monday.

It said it had also found that universities were conducting examinations and evaluations online, thus violating UGC guidelines. It urged all private universities to prevent such activities.

Private university operators said the UGC was completely within the dark and questioned its decision considering that universities round the world were taking exams and admissions online to mitigate the pressure on students amid the Covid-19 crisis.

Sheikh Kabir Hossain, president of the Association of personal Universities of Bangladesh (APUB), told Dhaka Tribune the leaders of the body had spoken with the education minister also because the UGC on the difficulty and were planning their next course of action.

“We cannot understand why the choice was taken, ignoring the worldwide strategies taken,” said Hossain, who is additionally chairman of the Board of Trustees of Fareast International University.

Professor Dr Mohammad Ali Naqi, vice-chancellor of Stamford University Bangladesh, said no discussion or consultation had taken place with the private university authorities before the UGC made this new announcement.

According to the VC, the UGC may need come up with the announcement as some universities had decided to assign students grades without holding semester finals to conclude their semester.

“But nowadays, we've documentation of everything online so there's nothing to stress about if exams are taken online. I hope they're going to review the choice and can consult us before making any new move,” said Naqi.

UGC member Prof Dr Md Sazzad Hossain said the present critical situation round the world was like life and death.

“In such a situation, we've to think about the psychological state of scholars before asking them to take a seat for exams or admissions. No student are often forced to require part in exams as their psychological state isn't suitable for an exam immediately ," he said, defending the UGC decision.

The universities can take online classes to stay students in-tuned with education, but nobody should be forced to seem at exams mandatorily, he opined.

“Other educational institutions - schools and colleges – also are closed for an equivalent reason. So, we'll consider subsequent course of action once the crisis is over,” he said.

Currently, there are 105 private universities across Bangladesh.