Staff Reporter
QUETTA: Parents and students have expressed concerned voice about the continued closure of educational institutions across Balochistan on Tuesday. Most of the parents and students have demanded of the higher education department to launch online classes for university and college students to avoid wastage of their precious time. “We are in the 21st Century, the government must arrange online classes for our daughters and sons”, Qasim Mandokhail, a parent told Quetta Voice. My daughters are not going to university and there are no online classes to provide them education by higher education, he said.
Government-run primary, middle and high schools across Balochistan have no basic facilities and most of the areas have poor rather no internet facility, therefore, online classes can not be launched on the school side. “We may curtail the winter and summer vacations of students to recover lost time of students”, Secretary Secondary Education Balochistan, Ghulam Ali Baloch told Quetta Voice.
Schools in the winter zone of Balochistan including Quetta were scheduled to be opened from March 1st, this year. However, the Balochistan government extended the closure of schools in the wake of the global outbreak of novel coronavirus.
Closure of schools across Balochistan has impacted the education of over 1 million students studying in primary, middle and high schools across the province. “Duration of school timing likely to be increased once educational institutions are opened”, Ghulam Ali Baloch said.
It is not possible to launch online classes for schools located in rural Balochistan because of the lack of basic facilities and internet facilities, in particular, the Secretary Education mentioned. If they cannot launch online classes for students in schools at least this practice should be started on the university level, Yasir Khan, a student who studies at Balochistan University of Information Technology and Management Sciences (BUITMS).
“Schools are still charging fees despite closure”, Mauladad Kakar, another parent complained. The private schools in Quetta have abided by the decision of government to close their schools. However, they are yet to make an announcement for waving off the fees of children.
