Essential Ndubuisi
By Amarachukwu Okafor
The education sector especially tertiary institutions in Nigeria witnessed incessant closures due to industrial actions by both the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU and the non – academic staff in recent times.
It was also worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic in the last year.
The effects of these repeated closures of schools on the academic programmes can better be imagined than described.
ABS spoke to a cross section of students who shared their experiences after resuming school and the impacts of these closures on them.
Speaking to the ABS, a final year student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Miss Amarachi Nwefuru, expressed displeasure with the fixing of examination immediately on resumption from the COVID-19 pandemic and ASUU Strike without revision and lectures.
She complained that the university never implemented its e-learning service for students and wondered how students will cope with the impending examination.
On her part, a student of University of Nigeria Nsukka, Chioma Okonkwo, pointed out that the ASUU strike has delayed the graduation and added extra school year, led to increment of school fees, while students now pay house rents for a year they never made use of.
She also insisted that the rush to commence examination is not favourable to students owing to the fact that most universities and her university in particular did not not fully embrace E-learning platforms.
A student of Federal University of Technology Owerri, Chijioke Okafor, noted that the ASUU strike has kept him as a fresher in institution for two years now.
He, however, appealed for extension of the school calendar to enable students cope with the academic demands.
