Closure Due to Covid-19: UGC again urges public univs to ensure online edn

The University Grants Commission has urged the public universities to ensure online education for the third time to avoid possible session jams for Covid-19 shutdown.

A top UGC official made the call in a virtual meeting with vice-chancellors of public universities that held yesterday evening.

In response, almost all the vice-chancellors agreed with the decision.

Talking to The Daily Star, UGC Chairman Prof Kazi Shahidullah said, "They [public university VCs] agreed that they would try their best to introduce online classes on their capacities."

The authorities of public universities would take online classes to cover up their syllabus and negate the possibilities of session jams.

"Exams and practical classes will take place after normalcy returns," Shahidullah said.

This is the third time UGC urged all public universities to introduce online classes. Previously, UGC made the same call on March 23 and April 30.

Most of the public universities earlier gave several reasons for not to introduce online education including a lack of facilities at the institutions and uneven internet access to students.

"After the initial calls, [UGC] did not have expected response. But this time we are expecting a better response, as they have promised to introduce online classes," Shahidullah said.

UGC acting secretary Ferdous Zaman, after the meeting, told The Daily Star that they had asked the universities to place the details of their needs by next two weeks.

"We will seek special allocation from the government so that public universities can introduce and conduct online classes," he said.