Mak students to protest over online lessons

A cross section of Makerere University students have vowed to protest against the university’s refusal to fully reinstate physical learning despite the re-opening of the economy.

The university’s Guild President, Ms Shamim Nambassa, told Daily Monitor yesterday that a strike, which was slated for January 30, had been pushed to Monday next week to allow first year and continuing students to report back and be part of the struggle.

The freshers reported yesterday while continuing students are expected to report on February 5. 
On January 30, the university guild president mobilised her ministers to demand the physical opening of the university.  

“The economy was opened but the university management still insists that students are going to study in a blended or staggered manner where you report to campus and go back home. They are insisting that we have to observe the SOPs. You don’t sit in a lecture room but you study online. You study on zoom and attend class. This is what we are going to protest against,” Ms Nabassa said.

“With the current arrangement, you must have a computer or a smart phone and data to be able to learn yet we pay full tuition and functional fees. It is also affecting students with disabilities, so it is really hard for them to study when they are home where they don’t live with their guides,” she said.

Ms Nabasa said the mode of learning is less effective, adding that the students’ leadership had written to the university management in vain.

“We have engaged them and we have got statistics on students who have been vaccinated against Covid-19. About 71 percent of students have been vaccinated. We have written to them but they still insist on their stand,” she said.

The Finance secretary for government-sponsored students, Mr Timothy Weere, said: “The strike will be on. Since the head of State re-opened the economy, it is not worthy for the Vice Chancellor to continue telling lecturers to hold lectures online. This is why we want to bring in our forces as student leaders to see that this does not happen.”

The president of government-sponsored students, Mr Waidembe Yusuf, said although the blended approach to learning had some challenges, it helped students to continue learning during the lockdown.