Recently, a students’ representative association, the Zimbabwe National Students’ Union (Zinasu), through its spokesperson Allan G Mawaya, rejected the proposal by most institutions of higher learning to roll out e-learning programmes during the 21-day lockdown on the grounds that it is impracticable given the acute digital divide between the “haves and have-nots.”
Learning institutions suggested the holding of lectures virtually since the emergence of coronavirus resulted in the banning of gatherings.
Nkosilathi Lesley Ngwenya, a columnist for The Standard says that rejecting the proposal in toto was illogical. Ngwenya said:
Therefore, instead of resisting all e-learning initiatives, a better approach is for the lecturers and students to look for such innovative ways, which will facilitate learning through appropriate digital means at a more affordable cost…
Indeed there is danger in reckless change, but there is even greater danger in blind conservativism, hence, to that end, maintaining the status quo will not benefit local universities and polytechnic colleges in the long-term.
Other learning institutions have before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic been offering online courses giving students from other countries the opportunity to learn from the comfort of their homes.
More: The Standard