Shafqat Mehmood asks students to work hard after HEC allows universities to hold online exams

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mehmood on Wednesday said that he is "happy to note" that the Higher Education Commission has  "allowed universities to conduct online exams with adequate safeguards."

Taking to his Twitter account, the minister wrote that HEC's decision " paves the way for [universities] to devise the right procedures quickly to do so."

He stressed that universities must maintain educational standards when conducting online exams. The minister also suggested that students must "work hard," and wished them good luck for the exams. 

Earlier on Wednesday, the HEC had said that it is "up to the universities to decide whether they want to conduct in-person or online exams" after students staged protests against on-campus examinations.

In a long Twitter thread, the HEC said that it has taken notice of students' concerns regarding in-person examinations.

"The apprehensions of students were reviewed carefully in consultation with the vice-chancellors of all the provinces and regions, keeping in view the difficulties brought about by the pandemic and opening of universities from February 01, 2021," HEC said.

Reminding people that it had issued guidelines earlier, HEC said that it has allowed universities to use their discretion to conduct exams — either on-campus or online as long as the chosen mode provides "a fair assessment of students’ performance."

Read more: After students demand online exams, HEC says universities to decide mode of assessment