Virtual learning for Nigerian Universities has remained a nightmare and an illusion for even Computer Science Faculties.
This comes weeks after the Minister of Education directed the nation’s Universities to recommence the academic session through online learning as a result of the COVID19 lockdown.
Universities and polytechnics across the nation have not been able to run one single lecture without hitches. Parents and students are frustrated with endless connectivity issues. In some cases, the lectures do not even know how to hook up online.
Nobody saw it coming. It was therefore not possible to quickly package and test-run anything.
This is the reality that Nigerian families are confronted with as a result of the sudden closure of all schools in the country.
Soon after the directive to shut down schools, former chairman of ASUU, University of Ibadan chapter, Professor Deji Omole spoke up. He lamented that the union’s cries for better funding of the education sector over the years fell on deaf ears.
He wondered how government suddenly wants universities to switch to e-learning when they were not prepared for it. For him, most people in government and positions of authority have their children studying abroad anyway. For tis reason, they do not understand the local realities. They have also not bothered to check academic contents.
From the premiere institutions through highbrow private universities, the situation remains woeful. One of them whose school fees are no different from those of standard Western colleges, has recommended that the students be allowed to return for at least 4 weeks to take exams.
Their desperate position is in view of the fact that students have not been able to run one hitch-free e-learning class. Their lack of infrastructure has therefore been exposed.
Another University had largely completed the session for nearly all faculties and were at the revision stage when the lockdown was directed. They have attempted online examinations since Monday, the 11th of May. Sadly, the situation remains the same.
All the institutions are in panic mode because the reality of fake promises made to parents about high standards now stare them in the face.
The paranoia is even more so as the 2021/2022 session is due in a few months and parents may consider taking their wards abroad or to public universities.
Questions to ask as families make decisions for the next session:
“Have parents been living a fool’s paradise all along ?
“Have parents been paying for brands/names of schools rather than academic contents ?
“For how long will the illusion continue ?
“How long will the deception go on for ?
“Why pay so much for a high brow local brand when with the same amount of money or just a few $100 dollars extra, you can get a far better education abroad ?
“Why waste millions of dollars paying for a brand with no value ?
“Will virtual learning ever happen in Nigeria with the apparent apathy of those in authority ?”
Very sadly, students of foreign schools even poorer African countries are holding hitch-free virtual learning.
How very sad !
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