ISLAMABAD: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has developed a databank of the online courses and shared it with universities in view of Coronavirus outbreak.

In a message on the prevailing situation, Chairman Higher Education Commission Tariq Banuri said the universities’ faculty had also been asked to prepare virtual courses for dissemination to students.

He said the HEC had issued a comprehensive guideline in this regard.

Also Read: Examinations postponed across Pakistan till June 1 due to coronavirus

The chairman HEC urged the vice chancellors of the universities to follow the guidelines.

On Mar 18, at a news conference in Islamabad, Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood had said that arrangements were being made to engage the students in their homes through online lectures in case if the schools were further closed. In this regard, technology support and content committees had also been set up, he had said.

The government had announced to postpone all examinations including those of local boards and the Cambridge system till June 1 due to the situation arising out of coronavirus.

“If the situation improves, the examination boards may conduct the postponed exams between June 1 and July 15,” the minister had said.

Shafqat Mahmood had said due to delay in exams, the universities had also been directed to delay their admissions.

He had said it was not necessary for teachers and other staff to come to the educational institutions, if the need did not arise.