Tensions between the student leadership and the administration at the Ivory Tower escalated after the University’s Guild President held a press conference on January 30th, 2022 through which she warned the institution’s head professor Barnabas Nawangwe to fully reopen the university for all students.
At a press conference held at the infamous Lumumba Hall, Nambassa Shamim noted that as student leaders, they won’t accept the university’s blended system which according to them, is very unfair.
Nambassa asserts that most university students are vaccinated as per the survey done by the 87th guild – contrary to VC Nawangwe’s report indicating that only 20% of the students had been vaccinated. Besides, she says nearly all university staff are vaccinated and thus asks who is fooling who between the 87th guild and the Vice-Chancellor.
Makerere University adopted a blended system of learning following the outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic. Since then, the university maintained this mode of teaching.
According to Nambassa, this mode of teaching pelts a burden onto students who cannot afford its maintenance.
“Students cannot access internet. With the tax that has been imposed on the internet, it’s absurd that the university continues to have a staggered mode of learning. Lecturers wait for the university to be opened physically in order to teach,” she said.
“Illiteracy cannot cure covid,” she added.
The 87th guild further worried that students with disabilities have been entirely left out with this mode of teaching as they can’t learn effectively online.
The 87th guild leadership now demands that VC Nawangwe revisits his decision and consider the full reopening of the university for all students. Nambassa, who bitterly cautioned the Vice-chancellor on the repercussions of blended learning, called upon all students to report at the university on 5th February, come rain come sunshine!
Following negotiations with the administration to fully reopen the university being in vain, the 87th guild began a campaign tagged ‘no bending for blending’ in order to exert pressure and make the university reconsider its position on the mode of teaching for semester one academic year 2021/2022.
The campaign was followed a rumored strike which had to commence on January 31st, 2022. However, Nambassa refuted the call for a strike says that they haven’t called for a strike yet and that if they do, it will pour like rain without notice.
As Freshers commence learning on 5th February, it’s not yet certain if the rest of the students will turn up for lectures as Nambassa Shamim recommended during the press conference.