UGC proposes academic activity plan; free data for students
View(s):With the disruption of academic activities of universities and higher educational institutes, the University Grants Commission has drawn out a programme to ensure that the students continue to have access to educational material.
UGC Chairman Sampath Amaratunga said discussions would be held with the government to provide free data packages to students so that they could download lectures and other material via internet.
At present, the students have access to an open software known as Moodle, but in view of the downloading costs, the UGC would discuss with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on the possibility of giving free data to download the material.
Prof. Amaratunga said that in the event students did not have a laptop or another device they could use the facilities at Nenasalas.
He said 15 universities and 18 higher educational institutes had been closed as part of government’s measures to control the Covid-19 pandemic and as a result a large number of students had been affected.
Under the proposed plan, he said, even if there was a delay in reopening universities the undergraduates would be able to do part of their academic activities.
The Vice Chancellors have also been informed of the proposed system.
He said, except for the practical lessons most of the other lectures could be covered in this manner. (DW)