Policy on online classes
Introduction:
Online education in Punjab was discussed by the Punjab Higher Education Commission in March as the Covid-19 had left its cracks everywhere in Pakistan on surface and far deeper. Covid-19 is not a global public health concern but also a political, economic, and educational one. Number of the meetings were held by PHEC to discuss this issue in order to come up with suitable guidelines to overcome the educational difficulties raised by the deadly disease Coronavirus throughout the world. The 3rd meeting of the PHEC committee was convened on May 11, 2020at 11:00 am, to formulate policy and oversee the matters related to the provision of the online courses, farther assessments under the Chairmanship of Prof. Dr. Fazal Ahmed Khalid, chairman PHEC. (policy guidelines from the PHEC, May 2020)
In this meeting many chancellors, VC and professors interact and gave their opinions and guidelines for this policy making of online classes. Few are the names of participants of this meeting who were part of this discussion; Prof. Dr. Khalid Masoud Gondal (Commission member of the PHEC, Vice King Edward Medical University, Lahore), Man Imran Masood (Commission member of PHEC, VC, University of South Asia, Lahore), Prof. Dr. Younas Javid (VC, HITEC University Taxila) and so on (policy guidelines from the PHEC, May 2020). Everyone gave their opinions and guidelines that how we can cope with Covid-19 and continue our education in universities.
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Currently, we can see that countries of the world have adopted the new education system which is very influential to the students. Pandemic has caused number of the backlashes in different fields specially education so PHEC has tried well to come up with certain policies to cover up education through online classes.
Government of Pakistan has played its active role in order to cope with the emerging problems in the lockdown time. HEC of Pakistan has elaborated its key factors to provide the education online despite of physical due to the deadly disease Covid-19. Hence, we know that this policy needs every effective measure to give course outlines, and the grades making in universities like; projects, assignments, quizzes, Mids. and finals online. So, it is very hard to assess such methods via online because number of the problems may raise.
Public policy is “the problem-solving activity”, which consists of the inputs and outputs by the political system. Following are the stages in policy-making;
- Problem Definition
- Agenda-setting
- Policy formulation
- Implementation
- Evaluation
Let’s discuss each stage which is described and analyzed in the policy-making process of online classes by PHEC.
Problem Definition: it is an initial stage in policy-making, and so was the case in formulating online classes policy. We can see that Pakistan has suffered a lot from Covid-19. Education is the prime responsibility of the state to be given the students, hence it was the crucial time for Pakistan to give physical education at the risk of lives of millions of the students studying in universities of Punjab. Other nations of have taken effective measures to cope with the problem of education due to lockdown and covid-19. The pandemic of covid-19 has adversely affected millions of students` education. Many problems came while formulating this policy which included: lack of internet facilities, less involvement of teachers with technology, teaching methods were not up to the mark online, students from remote areas being unable to get online education due to network problems and most of the students were unable to afford devices to get full advantage of this tenure of the education system during the lockdown. But like other countries of the world Pakistan has to initiate this step to involve students into technology and get benefits of it through online classes. PHEC took serious steps to look into this matter.
Policy formulation: after agenda setting, effective courses of action were developed, which is the second stage of the policy-making process. After the acknowledgment of agenda, in Pakistan parliamentary system policy formulation is being discuss in legislature where the policy making process starts.
Initially, PHEC set up a few meetings to discuss the matter thoroughly and come up with a suitable solution to the education problem during the early era of Covid-19. In such meetings number of guidelines have been given keeping every problem in view. Few professors gave suitable guidance`s like; Prof. dr. Khalid Masoud Gondal, VC, King Edward Medical University said that KEMU is already using online facilities for learning like Zoom and google classrooms etc. For supplementary examinations, in June, students are given two options; one is to join through online link and other is physical classroom by implementation of SoPs of Covid-19 and physical distancing[footnoteRef:1]. [1: Guidelines by PHEC in March 2020]
Furthermore, after such meetings the matter was brought to the policy making authorities like legislature, hence it was the issue of whole country so the parliament took serious step along with ministry of education to cope such problems at first. It was the big step for the first time in Pakistan throughout the history and was difficult enough to manage the online assessment and examinations. Bureaucrats examine the problem in deep according to their expertise, information, and ideas. Bureaucrats include; secretaries of higher education, inter-provincial ministries, and the ministry of youth taking part to discuss the problem and formulate the possible formulation of policy.
Finally, bureaucrats with certain hurdles, being a new ideas, succeeded to form new policy. I believe that this issue was unique in its nature because bureaucrats never faced such problem earlier because it was not path dependent rather a totally new issue. Other than this policy formulation is not so easy to be formulated and carried onwards but is difficult enough because while policy formulation the bureaucrats face strong opposition by the interest groups who resisted the policy-making and become hurdle to protect their interest. After making policy, it was evaluated in which resources, legal procedures and rules of business were determined with the mutual discussion of ministries and bureaucrats.
Implementation: implementation is a stage in which a policy is put into effect by the bureaucrats. As online classes policy is concerned by PHEC, it said that policy guidelines regarding online education in affiliated colleges and universities in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic have been given, and it was decided short-term, medium-term, and long-term plans shall be devised to strengthen the blended, distance and online education system by thee PHEC[footnoteRef:2]. PHEC committee initiated the programs to facilitate the training session to teachers, faculty, and staff to teach the students via online classes by using the Aaps like; MS Team, Zoom, Moodle and other softwares. Universities were given the task to promote this policy and implement it along with that universities will facilitate the colleges, regarding operating with Learning Management system (LMS) online courses, assessment procedures, lectures, knowledge sharing and IT support so that they can be benefited and uplift the policy made by PHEC. [2: International THE NEWS]
This policy is Top-down perspective policy enforced by the PHEC directly to the universities and colleges to be followed in order to hindrance the hurdles created by argumentations by many actors.
Evolution: It is the last stage after the policy is being implemented that a review is made on the policy made and implemented that whether the policy is effective as expected or needed reformation. As per the online classes policy is concerned, the policy was not reformed but continued after watching the success of both faculty and the students while taking interest in learning at home.
Although policy attained its objectives by saving the one-year study lives of students and keeping them stuck with their education at home in this crucial and hideous time of the Covid-19 pandemic. Expected outcomes were worth appreciable that oppose actors didn’t influence and the set purpose was achieved by the PHEC.
Furthermore, the unexpected outcomes were also face by the PHEC when one of the students lost his life while protesting against On-campus examination after chanting slogans as; “Classes on zoom, Exams in rooms” in front of UCP by the lathi charge discharged by Punjab police.
Conclusion: as we know that this policy was the need at this time of difficulty to save time and education of the youth of Pakistan, was also well implemented by the authorities rationally up to the higher level. Furthermore, it is still keep fulfilling its objectives and set targets with remarkable results. However, still, a few queries are there to be resolved.
Personal Analysis: as I am concerned, it was a great opportunity for us to evolve our skills and learn online in order to cope Covid-19 the deadly disease which affected almost every factor of life, and create a better understanding of modern technology as other nations are evolved with technology. Personally, I myself get evolved with technology just because of online classes and learned with the essence of heart. We must learn how to cope such emerging problems to save our time and learning methods by using technology and taking such policy steps to save our educational years.
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