Makerere university’s 87th Guild President Shamim Nambassa has petitioned the university Head, Vice Chancellor Barnabas Nawangwe to revoke the University’s decision on conducting blended learning for semester one for the academic year 2021/2022.
Nambassa argues that since the president of Uganda HE Yoweri Kaguta Museveni recommended that the economy is fully reopened, this including full reopening of education institutions, its only wise that the university administration adheres to these directives and opens its gates for all students to study physically.
According to the office of the academic registrar, Makerere university students will continue to study in a ‘staggered’ or blended way come next semester with priority being given to freshers who will start off their university journey with physical lectures as the rest study online in the meantime.
Nambassa’s petition comes only days after she had recommended adoption of online exams as a mode of assessment amidst the surging covid-19 infection at the prestigious academic hill.
In her letter dated 29th December addressed to VC Barnabas Nawangwe, Nambassa had expressed her worry and fear for the skyrocketing covid-19 infections among students. Nambassa had noted that at least 3 or 4 tested Covid-19 positive out of a pool of 10 students.
Nambassa had thus recommended adoption of online assessment, like Makerere Law School had resolved to use, for the then forthcoming examinations that were only later kicked off on January 3rd.
However, Makerere’s fifth female guild president believes the university now has the capacity to handle the covid infection within the students’ community despite lack of testing kits as she had earlier reported post her visit to the University hospital.
While speaking to the Bee, Nambassa said its high time the university reopened physically for all given that the covid cases among students were mild.
“Let students be on campus. let students be able to reach out to their lecturers…let students have the freedom to enjoy the services they pay for.” she said.
Some students have come out to castigate Makerere’s 87th guild president over her petition. These argue that by demanding for full reopening of the university for all means, she (Nambassa) is contradicting herself as she had feared the university wasn’t in such a position to calm the covid-19 surging infections.
Waidembe Yusuf Musomesa, the president of Uganda Government Students Association (UGOSA) told the Bee that;
“While addressing the deputy Vice Chancellor Academic affairs, the guild president was very clear that COVID cases had increased in the University premise and out of the 10 students tested at least 3 test postive. Which survey has the guild house undertaken in less than 10 days that is worthy submitting a petition requesting for the full reopening of the University”
It is now entirely upon the university administration to revoke its guidelines on the mode of learning for the first semester of the academic year 2021/2022 in order to allow all Makerer university students to study physically as Nambassa Shamim suggests in her petition below.
