‘Talk big, do nothing’ Akufo-Addo failing tertiary students – Edem Agbana

A Deputy National Youth Organiser of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Edem Agbana, has criticised the government over what he describes reluctance to support tertiary students to undertake their online studies.

Following the closure of all schools in the country to contain the outbreak of the Coronavirus, most university students say it has become difficult to join online lectures.

Some student groups like NUGS has expressed worry over the prices of data packages from telecom operators, saying it hinders their efforts to join online lectures which is taking place in almost all universities across the country.

Dr Obed Appiah, a lecturer at the University of Ghana said on Dwaboase Wednesday morning that his class size has decreased since the introduction of the online lectures via Zoom and other platforms.

“I have realised that anytime I come online to teach, the class size of over 100 reduces to about 35,” he told Dwaboase host Kwame Minkah and attributed it to the lack of funds on the part of students to purchase data packages.

A Deputy Minister for Education, Gifty Twum Ampofo who also spoke on the show observed the students were exaggerating their challenges with the online studies.

“Whenever there is a will, there is a way…if they want to study I believe they can surmount the challenges and study,” she said.

But in a sharp rebuttal, Edem Agbana, a former Student Representative Council (SRC) president for the University of Ghana (UG) described the failure on the part of the Akufo-Addo Government to support the students, as unfortunate.

The youth activist noted that Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta made a statement in Parliament about the Government’s support for students to take part in the e-learning process and wondered why that has not been implemented.

“Most of the students are jobless and may find it difficult to buy data…the Government has woefully failed to deliver on its own promise,” Agbana jabbed in Akan.

To him, the Government could engage the telecommunication companies to introduce new packages for students that can be accessible by all students as studies continue till schools reopen.