The COVID-19 Scenario in Higher Education in Pakistan: Effects and Policies
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https://doi.org/10.48112/aessr.v2i2.299Abstract
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This paper has attempted to examine the impact of COVID-19 on higher education in Pakistan. The impact is viewed from the perspective of students, teachers, the institutions and their resources, and the education sector pertaining to higher education. Further to this, the actions taken in Pakistan for higher education during the pandemic have also been reviewed. The researcher used a method of qualitative inquiry to derive information pertinent to the research objectives. Participants included Vice Chancellors, faculty and students from public and private universities. The outcomes of the semi-structured interviews revealed the absence of planning on the part of the universities, the regulatory and control bodies relevant to higher education, deficient infrastructure resources, and the absence of a robust system of faculty training to teach online. The thrust of the paper lies on the policy recommendations and challenges during the pandemic, what the national action plan should include, and what should be the post pandemic strategies for Pakistan in the areas of teaching and learning, resource development, collaboration, and financial allocation. It remains to be seen how Pakistan’s higher education will emerge from the lessons learned from COVID-19.
Keywords:
COVID-19, Digital divide, Higher education, Teaching and learning, Virtual modalitiesReferences
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