Future belongs to online education: Rotary webinar

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The speakers at webinar on the subject of Pros and Cons of Online Education, organized by Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan on September 29, generally reckoned that future belonged to online education despite reservations, limitations and apprehensions. 

Ghazala Faruqi Nizami, Chief Executive, Happy Home Schools, who was the keynote speaker in the webinar, shared that the COVID-19 pandemic had forced 87% of school going population to stay home causing a dramatic shift from books to internet which brought about a learning revolution. 

“Yet many of the world’s children, particularly those underprivileged, to this day do not have internet access, personal computers or the technological skills. Only a quarter of the world’s school children benefitted from online education. Thus online education is for the privileged. Sadly it has widened educational inequalities,” she opined. 

Dr Minhaj Qidwai, Ex-Program Director, Institute of Business Administration (IBA), didn’t words in stating that COVID-19 has given a boost to online learning which was changing the face of traditional classrooms and making education more accessible than ever before.

“Since 2020, as many as 98% universities have moved classes online although only 49% of professors have reportedly approved online learning. In 2021, nearly 75% schools are planning to operate online,” he shared while concluding his comprehension, containing pros and cons of online education, with the famous quote of Albert Einstein: “Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of mind to think.” 

Jahangir Moghul, Assistant Rotary Public Image Coordinator, Rotary International Zone 1-B, felt that COVID-19 has provided the opportunity for phenomenal growth of online education in the recent past and its popularity will continue rising in the next few years. 

“But a time will come when people may become fed up with these systems and machines as it’s a part of human nature to socialize and explore cultures while carrying out duties. Online education is the need of the present time but the desire to interact with people will find the vast majority to revert to the traditional campus life,” he thought. 

Dr Aftab Imam, Governor, Rotary International District 3271, who has also been a prolific teacher and trainer while pursuing a successful career in civil services, spoke at length about the various aspects of online education. 

He emphasized on keeping pace with the changing times and move on as the world was progressing leaps and bounds in the digital arena. He urged for continuing to learn fast about the technological advancements and acquire the latest knowledge and skills in order to stay afloat. 

Asim Murtaza Khan, Immediate Past President, Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan, highlighted that online education has become quite mature in the world as remote learning or virtual learning have been in use for the last many years and only its significance has grown due to COVID-19 pandemic. 

“It, however, faces social and ethical issues in Pakistan as underprivileged cannot afford computers and internet bandwidth for extended use. Power outrages cause disruption. Ethical issues are found in assessments and examinations,” he pointed out. 

Syed Khalid Mahmood, President, Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan, in his welcome address, noted that during the last year and a half, online education seemed to have become new normal following the decline in mobility of mankind with waves after waves and variants after variants of the deadly virus extending miseries. 

“Forcing the tiny tots to use internet and smartphones for starting or continuing their learning process has not been welcomed for obvious reasons but online education in general has enabled us to prevent loss of precious which could have occurred otherwise in the given circumstances. Online education may not be the substitute to learning at campus but it’s a huge blessing in sustaining education in the periods of lockdown and social distancing,” he thought. 

The club’s Secretary and President-Elect, Awais Moghul, presented the vote of thanks in which he complimented Ghazala Nizami and Dr Minhaj Qidwai for enlightening the audience with brilliant narratives while he praised the commitment of District Governor Dr Aftab Imam for sparing time for the webinar despite his preoccupations in the key role of Chief Commissioner, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).