20pc discount report sought from schools

LAHORE:The district education authority (DEA) Lahore has directed private schools across the provincial metropolis to submit compliance report vis-à-vis implementation of 20 per cent fee discount to students because of school closure in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic.

In a letter to the owners/principals of the privately managed schools, the DEA Lahore office directed them to submit compliance certificate/report within three days (from June 1 to June 3) warning that strict action would be taken under the rules for non-compliance.

GCU online teaching: Government College University Lahore held a digital seminar informing details on “Online Teaching” that is going to resume at the university from today (Monday).

The university’s Seniors’ Club members interacted with the Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi and the members of the newly-formed Directorate of Information Technology to seek information for students about various aspects of the online teaching.

The seminar was broadcasted on social media channels where the VC responded queries in comments. Addressing the webinar, Prof Zaidi mentioned the four-dimension strategy comprising teachers’ training, preparation of approved online-ready courses, adoption of the Learning Management System (LMS) and developing procedures for online classes to be ready and accessible for students. The GCU has established its LMS where lectures, assignments, grades and students attendance would be uploaded and under the policy students would also have to submit and upload their assignments online in this system.

Prof Zaidi said more than 10,000 students and teachers were currently being registered with GCU LMS while new courses, class schedules and other academic calendar dates were also being updated. If students face any issue related to LMS, they must contact with their relevant teachers who are in contact with the department’s IT coordinator.

The vice-chancellor hoped that GCU would be the first university to deliver a successful online teaching programme in public sector universities in Punjab. He briefed students about the minimum attendance requirement, and assessment policy to be based on assignments and open-book examinations. Prof Zaidi said the students who didn’t have access to internet would be required also to get in touch with their teachers through conventional ways, including Whatsapp and postal services. He said teachers could count the attendance of the students having connectivity issue by giving them different lecture related assignments.

private schools: Punjab Minister for Schools Dr Murad Raas has warned that strict action would be taken against any private school that would be opened on Monday (today) for students. It is pertinent to mention here that all private and public schools are closed till July 15 in Punjab until further orders. However, administrative office can open on Monday and Tuesday with strict SOPs and not more than two to three officials, only for fee collection and salary disbursements.