By Manjima Dhakal
Kathmandu, July 4: At a time when thousands of university level students across the country are in dilemma about their classes and examinations, which have been postponed infinitely because of COVID-19, the University Grant Commission (UGC) is now in final stage to bring a directive to address alternative education requirements of the varsities.
The UGC has finalised a directive on ‘Facilitation for Learning at Higher Education through Alternative Procedure’ in the support of the Ministry of Education Science and Technology (MOEST).
“The directive is in the final stage which will be approved by a board meeting of the UGC,” Bhim Prasad Subedi, chairperson of the University Grant Commission (UGC), said.
About 423,000 university level students of different 11 universities are now in dilemma after their examinations and classes become uncertain. Till now, only Kathmandu University, Open University and Tribhuvan University (TU) have been running classes through virtual medium. Although the TU has been running virtual classes for the students of MPhil., PhD and MA and Bachelors level of semester system, it could not run virtual classes for the students of the annual system of MA and Bachelors level.
According to Subedi, the directive will pave a way for the universities to run classes and examinations through alternative mode in this crisis. Along with the introduction of the directive, all eleven universities will run classes through alternative modes.
All universities could decide themselves about the classes and examinations as guided by the directive because the universities are autonomous.
According to the directive, the students will be categorised on the basis of their access to technology. It has also told the universities to run classes as per their access to technology.
Regarding the examinations, the directive said the varsity could run examination through different modes because there was no alternative to examination. It suggested running examination by maintaining social distance, running examinations in different shifts, taking examinations through virtual mode and upgrading students through internal evaluation. Besides, the directive also suggested running new semester classes and conducting examination in the gap of a certain time.
The universities could decide on these options, but they must seek recognition of the degree from the concerned council. While conducting examination of the medical students through these modes the varsity must seek permission from the medical council, Subedi said.
Subedi further said the directive was issued to face the crisis created by the COVID-19.
Meanwhile, the Tribhuvan University has formed a taskforce to recommend the ways of examinations in TU. It has formed the taskforce in coordination with Subarna Shakya, assistant dean of TU, Shiva Lal Bhusal, Rector of the varsity, said.
The varsity will come with a decision about examinations soon as per the recommendation given by the taskforce, Bhusal added.
Likewise, TU has been collecting data of its students to make its classes more effective in the coming days, Bhusal said.
According to him, the students’ participation at MPhil, and PhD virtual classes is almost cent per cent. But such participation could not happen in other levels.