Monrovia – The Student Unification Party (SUP), a student-based political party at the State-run University of Liberia has rejected calls by the university’s administration to operate the e-learning process as part of the COVID-19 measure.
The student-based political party wants the university administration to allow both e-learning and face-to-face learning to take place so as to allow students that do not have access to computers and the internet to remain in school.
On June 30, the university announced on its Facebook page that it will go online for the 2nd Semester due to the COVID-19 resurgence.
“Following a Joint Faculty Senate and Administrative Council (JFSAC) meeting held online via Zoom on Friday, June 25, 2021, the University of Liberia (UL) has decided that all classes will be conducted fully online in adherence to the latest health protocols in the wake of the resurgence of Covid-19 in Liberia,” UL administration states.
Speaking Monday, the Chairman of SUP acknowledged that the third wave of the contagious Covid-19 is taking away many lives in Liberia in a short period of time.
However, he says the administration of the University of Liberia needs to give students the opportunity to do their study either online or face-to-face learning adding many students do not the ability to afford the e-learning process.
“In this, many schools around the world have given their students options wherein they are to decide on the face-to-face classes or the e-learning, which best suits them for subscription,” Momo Peters, SUP chairman stated.
Chairman Peters added: “In Liberia, a democratic state like others, this seems the reverse and comical to the core. The University of Liberia which happens to be the state premier and most genuine area for education where the mass of our people send their children to acquire tertiary education is in reverse mode being under a simple dictator in Julius Sawolo Nelson who doesn’t meet the credential or standard of being a president of a community college but was appointed by the ex-soccer star now president of Liberia to the post of the presidency of the University of Liberia.”
According to SUP Chairman, technology is one of the most powerful instruments that is driving the world to fast growth and development.
He furthers that it can only be applicable and well operated in environments that have the sophistication adding that Liberia is not included.
“The University of Liberia does not have the sophistication required to contain an e-Learning platform on a hundred percent basis for over sixteen thousand (16,000) students,” he said.
“The Vanguard Student Unification Party is calling on the Administration to make e-Learning sixty percent (60%) while the face-to-face classes should be forty percent (40%).”
“SUP will not hesitate to march into history if our demands against the imposition of hundred percent (100%) e-Learning on the suffering university students this semester are not met,” SUP chairman warns.