Waidembe Yusufu, a first-year student at the Makerere University has protested against the government’s decision to delay reopening of higher institutions for in-person (face to face) classes.
In a letter to the Executive Director o the National Council of Higher Education (NCHE), Waidembe expressed his dissatisfaction with the choice of opting for online learning.
The young man who described e-learning as ‘suicidal’ went ahead to display placards whose messages downplay its feasibility.
Below is his full letter:
Dear Sir/Madam,
Reference is made to your letter dated 27th January 2021 in which you communicated that institutions should continue studying online using ODeL system for at least another three months.
The purpose of this letter is to inform you that it’s too unfair and impossible for first-years to cope up with this system of education based on the research I conducted.
1. I am firm and bold that ODeL will not be of a positive impact to learners since it is full of half baked content and being first years, learners are introduced to New learning environment, learning skills, learning materials and subject contents. How then can you convince me that my young brother from Bududa hills will manage to connect on a zoom lecturer without any prior knowledge? And how can my young sister in Moroto afford a laptop if at all they are starving and surviving on a budget of 2,000/= a day?
2. Prior to elections, the government through UCC shut down the internet and am sure that however is accessing it is doing it illegally, how then can the very government through NCHE order for online studies.
3. In the simple mathematics I was taught at Faith high school Namugongo, I have come up with this expenditure on data and phone charging (basing on a student from Sigulu island in Namayingo district where there is no electricity accompanied by a disturbing network).
A zoom lecturer of 40 minutes takes 100MB which costs 1000/=, phone charging is 500/= a day. Which means a student will spend a minimum of 280,000/= in three months if he or she is attending 4 lectures a day. How can this be possible yet students are going to pay tuition and functional fees?
4. I think the issue of Covid 19 seems to be a strong point and an immediate factor for this confusion. Yes, I agree the virus is real, but I have failed to agree with the ministry of health for failing to provide a report on how the virus affected candidates and finalists who reported back for studies last year.
Leaving that apart, I know the government cares about the young generation and it wants them alive but on several occasions, I have been forced to develop a negative mind about that issue, because the young generation is not certain about their academic future and their tomorrow, they have lost hope because of what they see.
For example, NRM Party primaries involved massive gatherings and congestion in the process of lining behind a candidate, the presidential campaigns (Robert Kyagulanyi could host a population of people equivalent to the total number of all students in one institution in Uganda.).
A popular Nigeria artist known by names of Omar lay came and performed on a concert in Uganda during Covid19, Kampala city is full people, I even lost my bag in a crowd near new Taxi park last week, bars and video halls are operating illegally, people are massively attending weddings, burials and other parties, his excellence president Tibuhaburwa waved at crowds during his drive from Rwakitura.
Despite all this, our brothers and sisters are being denied access to a fair education. I, therefore, request your office to halt online studies and open institutions physically for all learners. We shall be hoping for a positive response.
Thank you.
Yours faithfully
……………………………..
WAIDEMBE YUSUFU.
MAKERERE UNIVERSITY
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