Category: Educational Highlights

ONLINE TUITION MUST BE BOYCOTTED, A CONCERN STUDENT TRAINEE WRITES

As we are in the corona situations in the nation and schools have been shut down while teaching and learning is in session through various media has negatively neglected some students from the learning process .

One of the major problems is internet access as obviously in some communities in Ghana has poor network connectivity .So students who stay in such communities cannot partake in the learning process as they cannot get connected to the internet to have access to the learning process.Average number of students is 207 but you will only see 90 attending lectures. This implies that not every student was partaking in this online lectures which seems to be discriminatory against others. Not even all tertiary students are using Android phone. By having android phone is not the solution to the problem but how to purchase data bundles becomes huge burden to us.Network connectivity is also one problem facing students that are been engaged in this online tuition. Most of us are living in remote areas which face telecommunication network problem.
Again, assessment with the online learning should be prohibited.
Because per what we have observed, many students are not partaking in the online tuition due some of the challenges I mentioned above such as poor internet connection, high cost of internet data coupled with the high rate of internet data consumption, so to assess those who are partaking by conducting quizzes and assignments and presentations is a very good thing but it will add another wound to the affected students.
We are not understanding anything too. Physical education and much and dance needs a field work I mean practicals,ICT also needs a practical work which can not be teach online and even Mathematics been taught online. Let us think about this before continuing online learning.
Above all, government must pay our allowances to aid us run a smooth and a successful programme for the semester.

Written by Ametor Desire

A concerned student trainee

A level 100 student teacher

ALLOWANCE MUST BE PAID.

The Yes And No Of Online Examination; The Student’s Standpoint.

The announcement of an online examination for the 2019/2020 Second Semester Academic Year has sparked a lot of discomfort among students in most public universities. An institution like the Ghana Institute of Journalism in its directive from the Academic Board has scheduled examinations from the 25th of May to the 12th of June, 2020. Out of 4 or 5 essay type questions, students will be allowed to answer 2 and may have up to 24 hours from the time of the examination to submit their work via a designated site by the institute. In a public notice to students, the institute stated that, it will be an offence to Utilize the services of tutors or other persons paid and unpaid, seek help from other students as well as Collaborate with other students. Following network challenges faced across the nation by workers, non-workers and students, the idea of an online examination has been debunked by most students while others think for the time being, it’s the only option available to keep the educational sysyem still on track. Gideon Amoako, a student of the Ghana Institute of Journalism shared his thoughts on whether or not the online exams is a feasible idea
“I think that’s the only better way to enable management to assess students, especially in this hard and unusual times.”
Now, we can’t mention this without the fact that the online exam has the potential to to be a challenge to some students. However, the last time I checked the school’s policies for the online exam, I realised provisions shall be made to students who may have challenges regarding the online exam. Again, others are suggesting we write the exam after vacation. However, school and academic work must proceed [even in these hard times]. This is not what we all wished for. Nature just punched us too hard in our faces and we’re still finding solutions to get healed; worldwide.”
Emefa Akorli, a student of the University of Cape Coast opined on the good and bad of the idea. She said, with the positive side, firstly, It is an innovative and expedient way of sustaining academics under this time of uncertainty. Also, Practically, it will enable the various institutions involved to accord to their academic calendar as much as possible. Since failure to do so will affect them in so many ways. Including, admission of new applicants on time, continuity of other programmes like sandwich courses among others and finally, the emergence of this mode of assessing students will ensure that final students graduate in time with little or no delays. In order to bring to bear their experience, which the country is in dire need of. Now let’s take into consideration the negativity of this whole idea, the online learning together with the exams disadvantaged students greatly, since one needs good network and data to access. And, as it stands, the complications these two poses are obvious and finally under this circumstance, the mode of exam adopted is rather a long essay fashion and not the traditional way. And in this situation students need access to go reference material from the libraries to produce a good work, especially courses like history where little can beget on the Internet.
Adwoa Tuffuor, a student of the University of Ghana totally disagreed with the idea taking into consideration the poor network connectivity in various parts of the country. From student’s cry, one burden that cut across was internet challenges. However, this is not an exhaustive list of opinions by students. The unprecedented lockdown has revealed how weak our education system is. Moving forward, it is also important to take into consideration how most marginalized students will be affected by moving education or writing of exams online.

By: Miriam Amankwah

A level 300 student of the Ghana Institute of Journalism