UPSA students demand government’s intervention over e-learning ‘restriction’

Some students of the University of Professional Studies, Accra have called on the management of the school to review its e-learning policy in the wake of the coronavirus-induced shut down of schools.

Citi News understands that the management of the University immediately introduced an e-learning platform for students after the President’s directive for educational institutions to shut down until further notice.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo directed schools in the country to shut down effective Monday, March 16, 2020 to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus in the country.

After the directive, UPSA migrated all academic activities including IA’s, tests and lecturing onto its e-learning platform but only students who had paid their fees in full were to be given access to the platform.

This decision according to the students is harsh and indiscriminate.

“We must first of all stress that we are not in principle against any decision by the Management of the UPSA to ensure that the unfortunate COVID-19 does not affect the academic calendar as long as there is some possibility to do so. But, to the extent that any such measures may be detrimental to some students inconsistent with what has been the practice, it would not only be an unfair but clear indication that management of the university does not even appreciate the psychological effect the said COVID-19 has brought on students,” a statement from a group calling itself the Concerned Students of University of Professional Studies noted.

The concerned students’ further disclosed that some of them depend on “Students Loan Trust Fund to pay part of their fees and those who have to wait for money from relatives abroad to pay their fees (Most of those countries have also been affected by COVID-19) while some have to go to the extent of doing informal works in order to put together money for their fees.”

The students are therefore calling on the Education Ministry to intervene on their behalf to press on management to review its decision.