Digital divide

Since the HEC directed all affiliated universities to commence online teaching in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, many students of areas such as ex-Fata and many areas of Balochistan are struggling with keeping track of what's been taught online. The government has a moratorium on mobile internet service in ex-Fata since 2016 – which means students barely have any recourse to the internet. It's sad that there still exists so much disparity between different areas of the same country. Indubitably, internet is the be-all and end-all source of education. It is, therefore, requested that the government restore internet services in ex-Fata or else it stops saddling disadvantaged students with the encumbrance of online learning. The HEC too is requested to look into the concomitant problems of online teaching in these areas and come up with feasible alternatives so that the precious time lost due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus can be made up.

Naqeeb Hussain

Parachinar