Students protest outside HEC, demand universities waive full semester fee

ISLAMABAD: A number of university students from across the country staged a protest outside the Higher Education Commission (HEC) office in Islamabad on Wednesday.

The protesting students demanded that universities waive their full semester fee, stop their online classes, and promote all the students to the next semester without examinations.

They had placards in their hands and shouted slogans against the Higher Education Commission. The students blocked Islamabad’s Service Road, throwing traffic out of gear.

A large banner the protesters had was inscribed with the slogans, “#NoUniversity NoFee,” We WantSemPromotion,” and “Say No Online Classes.”

They slammed universities for charging full semester fees despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier, on May 12, Chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC) Dr Tariq Banuri had chaired a meeting of university vice-chancellors and discussed possible ways to conduct annual examinations.

Suggestions were made to conduct examinations based on open book, multiple-choice questions, assignments and viva-voce methods. The vice-chancellors put forth complaints made by students regarding internet connectivity issues and asked HEC to help in this regard.

Sources further revealed that mechanics will be laid out which will make the process of online classes easy and accessible for everyone to reap benefit from.