How students can attend exams without preparation?

Aneeta

PESHAWAR: Some students in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are of the view that the BS students must also be promoted to next semester without exam as they are not prepared to attend the exam without proper study.

Ghazal Bibi, a BS Economics student of the University of Peshawar (UoP), said while talking to TNN that although academic activities have resumed after six months, but students need some time to get going. She said the BS students must also be promoted to next semester like school students or at least online exam must be conducted as students won’t be able to absorb the pressure of examination hall after staying away from academic activities due to coronavirus lockdown.

Ghazal said the authorities can also consider a bit delay in holding exams to give students time to rediscover themselves and get going in their academic activities.

Hanzala Khan, a BS Computer Science student, said many students could not attend online classes during lockdown due to non-availability of internet facility. He said he has not attended online classes during last six months due to same problem. He said most students who lacked internet facility hailed from merged tribal districts. He said these students are under huge pressure now after suddenly being exposed to physical exam.

Another Economics student Huma said students remained deprived of academic activities despite submitting their fee. She said the exam must be conducted not before than at least two or three weeks of proper academic activities.

Professor Zalakat Khan from Economics Department of the UoP said like other countries of the world, Pakistan’s economy and other activities, particularly the academic activities, were severely damaged due to coronavirus pandemic. He said the teachers and students in Pakistan faced difficulties in online classes due to week communication system. He said some students used to sit on roofs or even scale mountains for attending their online classes.

Professor Zalakat said it was also first such experience for teachers in Pakistan and they also faced a lot of problems due to weak internet connectivity. He said there is a lot of difference between direct classes and online classes.

However, the professor said they cannot afford further delay in exams as a lot of time has already been wasted and further wastage of time would affect the next semesters.