Several private university students sustained injuries after they got into a clash with security guards during demonstrations against in-person examinations. The students have been demanding online exams because classes were also held virtually.
Students were present outside a university located on Jinnah Road in Johar Town since morning. According to police, between 300 and 350 students partook in the protest.
The students of the private university reached the educational institute’s main gate where they chanted slogans against the varsity’s administration.
“When we were taught online, our papers should also be conducted online,” the students demanded
The situation took a turn for the worse when the protesters tried to enter the varsity premises. The guards and the students clashed, and as a result, five students sustained injures. Police say one of the wounded students is said to be in a critical condition.
Students have maintained they would continue the protest until their demands are met; however, the university administration has not yet commented on the matter.
Meanwhile, as the students took to the streets, the campaign has also been making waves on the social media as hashtags saying #StudentsRejectPhysicalExams and #StudentsWantOlineExams became top trends on Twitter.
A day earlier, Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mehmood addressed students’ concerns regarding online examinations and said that the decision lies with universities.
“Some university students are demanding that their exams should be online as they have been studying online,” the minister wrote on Twitter.
“This is a decision for the universities to make, but I have asked HEC to consult VCs and see if it is possible given special circumstances this year.”
The minister added that universities “should also assess whether they have the technical ability to conduct online exam for all students, stressing that no student should be left behind.
“No one can be left behind. It is also necessary to ensure that the online exam system is not misused to get easy grades,” he wrote. “Preparing good question papers/ assessment is important.”
University students, mostly in Lahore, have been protesting against on-campus examinations for the past week.
According to the students, universities had conducted online classes due to closure of educational institutes because of the coronavirus pandemic. They also say that universities had not completed the syllabi of different courses but now the institute’s administrations were pressing for exams.
On Friday last week, a number of students of various public and private universities had protested outside the Governor’s House to demand cancellation of physical examinations. Hundreds of students had also protested outside Aiwan-i-Iqbal last week against universities’ policies.
According to the students, institutes had closed their hostels and the students of other cities did not have any place to live and questioned how they could prepare and appear in examinations in the prevailing circumstances.
