Africa-Press – Uganda. Makerere University management has fully reopened the institution to physical classes.
The university had maintained online classes when government reopened all learning institutions in January, but some students protested, demanding physical lectures for all learners since all the sectors were reopened.
The Makerere Vice Chancellor, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, told Monitor on Friday that management made a U-turn after realising that cases of Covid-19 in the country had reduced.
Prof Nawangwe said all students would resume physical lessons on Saturday except for graduate students who prefer blended learning.
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Blended learning
“The semester plan remains the same. But the university is opening fully for face to face classes. However, blended teaching and learning will continue for those who prefer it, especially graduate classes, which are ordinarily in the evenings,” the Vice Chancellor said.
Makerere was the only university in the country that had maintained online teaching after the government cleared all learning institutions to reopen.
The guild president, Ms Shamim Nabbasa, who led a students’ demonstration against online classes last month, commended the university administration for physically reopening the university to all learners.
“The wait is finally over. This Saturday, the university shall officially open its gates physically for all students. No student will be forced to leave the halls of residence for others to occupy as it has been. All halls will be fully opened for all the students, ”Ms Nabbasa said.
“This is in fulfilment of our conditions to the administration for calling off the industrial action,” the guild president added.
Background
Makerere students led by guild president Shamim Nabbasa staged a demonstration on February 7 protesting against online lessons, citing the high data costs and lack of enough ICT equipment. This led to the suspension of 12 students for disrupting the university property and teaching. A third-year student, Mr Richard Ssebuganda, lost fingers to a tear gas canister during the demonstration.
The university management on February 10 called for a meeting with the students’ guild leaders and agreed to lift the suspension of the 12 students, among other pledges. The university management also promised the student leaders that it would create a roadmap for physical reopening of the institution.
The leaders were in return asked to call off the demonstration and mobilise their colleagues for mass vaccination as one of the ways to minimise the spread of Covid-19.
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