THE VOICE FROM A COLLEGE
“Failing to understand what is happening around you is not an excuse, it is just an act of ignorance.”
College students are much aware of the impasse unfolding in the country as a result of the coronavirus. As a matter of fact, it is due to this dolour that schools are no more in session and collegians are not blind over this. We will not sit unconcerned for negligence to lead us into the ditch.
Out of this bawling, the Minister of Education, Hon. Mathew Opoku Prempeh, and his entourage, together with other stakeholders have put in place undaunted measures to ensure the continuity of learning while we still remain under the bondage of coronavirus. We hail them for their good initiatives.we really appreciate that.
The e-learning, as it is about to be rolled out to encourage learning in the various colleges, will dig the graves of many college students rather than resurrecting the already dormant learning spirits of collegians.
Below are some of the challenges that will hinder the progress of the e-learning, to the detriment of the college student.
Firstly, inaccessibility of telecommunications network; all college students who are dwelling in the remote areas and other equally secluded abodes (from cities) will suffer the fate of a cut-out service of telecommunications network.
Again, inadequate or lack of gadgets will obviously obscure the progress of the e-learning. Many college students do not have android phones, laptops, and other ICT tools which will help them to access this platform.
Further more, the unprepared minds of students is an undeniable factor to betray the e-learning and what it aims to achieve. Proper education must be administered in a conducive environment in order to reap its expected results. We are all in perilous times which does not warrant effective studies due to the instability of the mental states of college students.
In this regards, I would humbly appeal to the Minister of Education and the other bodies spearheading the e-learning agenda to respectfully consider the above challenges raised and many others which are known to them and BRING THE E-LEARNING TO A HALT.
I have never been, I am not and I will never be a prophet of doom, but if authorities fail to adhere to this plea and insist on the enforcement of the e-learning, then the following are the inevitable outcomes.
Abysmal performance in the end of semester examination; as soon as the e-learning is implemented, academic work will kick start, to the disadvantage of those who cannot access it’ due to one or two genuine reasons, such as the blind, deaf, those staying in areas of poor network etc.
Thus academic work will continue from where we would end before we go back to our various campuses. In its adverse effect, poor performance in the end of semester examination would be recorded.
The next bitter effect associated with the e-learning policy is mass withdrawal of collegians;
As a result of the abysmal performance following the challenges raised, students may not meet the standard to proceed to the next academic level and the repercussion will be mass withdrawal, as we experienced last academic year.
I want you all to reason with me and imagine the havoc that will be unleashed because of the introduction of the e-learning.
In addition, the e-learning will encourage the chew and pour method of learning (popularly called by students as babadie); college students would not get enough time to study, to get to the bottom of the course content and to understand the concept underlying the course of study because there would be a lot to cover in a short time. This would force us to just memorize the course content, write the examination and pass and forget everything. Thus hindering the standard base curriculum from achieving its intended goals.
I therefore call on the Education Minister and his retinue as well as all stakeholders, to go back to the negotiation table, consider the plight of the college student and reconsider their decision to establish the e-learning.
Notwithstanding, I suggest our lecturers be encouraged to send PDFs, and lesson notes on our whatsapp platforms to engage us in this period of despondency.
It will be of high essence to alterate the academic calendar, and reschedule activities to pave way for us to start academic work on campus when the situation is brought back to normalcy.
Experiencing a temporary time extension is preferred to seeing fellow collegians go home in masses for poor performance.
CONSIDER THE PLIGHT OF THE COLLEGE STUDENT!
HEAR THE WEAK VOICE OF THE COLLEGE STUDENT! !
E-LEARNING IS NOT THE SOLUTION!!!
OSEI KWADWO
SRC GENERAL SECRETARY
SDA COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, ASOKORE-KICKOFFS.
