The year 2020 has brought with it all sorts of unfortunate surprises for the world over. People from all walks of life have suffered greatly, not just in terms of their health, but also in their social, academic and personal lives. The class of 2020, for instance, missed out on what was to be one of the greatest days of their college experience. Four years of hard work feel incomplete without a convocation. However, all those still enrolled in academic institutions are also looking at an uncertain and grim year ahead. With the current situation in the country, the upcoming fall semester is most likely to be online. This sad reality has left many disheartened and has led many others to consider taking a gap year until life goes back to normal.
With eighty thousand plus cases of coronavirus country wide, the future does not look very hopeful. While the government has lifted the lockdown in light of economic factors, academic institutions remain closed. It is still extremely unsafe to go out as the spread of the virus is seen to be accelerating every day. In this situation, opening academic institutions is considered dangerous by most. With similar conditions in the UK, the University of Cambridge has announced its plans for the fall semester. All lectures by the university will be held online. Students will only be allowed to meet up at the campus in very small gatherings, following all precautions to protect themselves from the virus. Similarly, State universities in California have also announced their upcoming quarter to be fully online and have communicated to their international and American students that the priority is staying home and staying safe.
At the same time, some reputed institutions such as the Purdue University in the US have decided to opt for an in-person semester with online alternatives available to all students. The university administration has said that “Covid-19 poses close to zero lethal threat to young people”. However, the administration is keen on taking preventative measures in view of the virus. These measures which, according to the Purdue administration, make it possible to re-open campuses in times of Corona include spreading out classes across days and times to reduce their size, having options for online instruction for on-campus students, requiring people more at risk of the virus to work remotely, and tracing contacts for those who test positive and requiring them to self-quarantine for 14 days.
With the government passing statements such as “the people will have to learn to live with the virus” it is very likely that the measures taken by the University of Purdue are eventually adopted by universities in Pakistan as well. Though, as of now, academic institutions remain closed and most universities are still quite unsure about the possibility of an in-person semester, at least this fall. Universities in Pakistan will have to consider factors such as the unavailability of internet access to most students, if they decide on continuing with an online mode of teaching. On the flip side, however, if campuses are to re-open there must be satisfactory access to medicinal equipment, protective gear and testing kits for all students along with the option to continue studying online if someone is more at risk of being infected.
LUMS is also still debating over the possibility of an on-campus semester. In an unofficial email Dr. Ali Khan, the newly appointed dean of HSS has said that “it is very unlikely that the fall semester will be a face to face one”. This, according to the LUMS administration, is due to the fact that if campus re-opens, containing the virus will become impossible and any sort of spread would lead to closure. However, there is a possibility of “phased openings” that will include allowing students on campus, one batch at a time. It is understandable that the administration, like most universities across the world, is still unsure about how to continue teaching in the fall semester.
Like the university administration, students too are still deciding on whether an online semester is worth it. With the Spring Semester 2020 abruptly changing into an online one, students are not satisfied with their experience. Online teaching has not been able to deliver the same quality of education to students as an on-campus education did. Significant factors such as class participation, class environment, socialization, in-class presentations and group projects are severely compromised in the online mode of teaching. LUMS is known, in Pakistan, for its thriving campus life and it is this aspect that adds value to the LUMS experience. For many, missing out on campus life is too big a sacrifice and hence taking a gap year in hopes of returning back to normal is a better option than continuing with an online semester half-heartedly. Another factor that is to be considered this fall semester, especially for those studying at LUMS, is the extra fee that is expected to be paid despite there being major cut offs in the quality and method of delivering education.
The stance of the government and the response of most universities worldwide gives us an insight into what the upcoming semester will look like for students across Pakistan. The minister for school education in Punjab, Murad Raas, has announced that all private institutions must remain closed till the end of the pandemic. While the All Pakistan Private School Federation has been demanding to reopen schools by following SOPs, the government has warned that any violation of the orders to keep schools closed till the end of the pandemic will result in strict action.
The virus is growing exponentially, with up to four thousand new cases a day. Like most countries, Pakistan is not equipped to handle this outbreak due to a severe shortage of medical supplies and hospital beds. According to many expert epidemiologists, the country is yet to reach the peak of the outbreak. The government has even told the people to prepare for more deaths. In these tragic conditions it does not seem likely, nor does it seem wise, that students will return to normal campus life anytime soon.