Higher Institutions to Begin Virtual Academic Programmes

The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu has directed all institutions to launch virtual academic programmes.

The minister issued the directive on Thursday 2nd April, 2020 during a teleconference with the authorities of higher institutions of learning.

He directed all universities, polytechnics and colleges of education to activate virtual learning environment to enable students to continue their studies through digital devices.

He stated that although the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is on strike, the government will intensify efforts to settle amicably with the union.

Adamu noted that the federal government could not afford to shut schools for a long time.

“I have called the meeting to find solutions to the challenges posed to the nation’s school calendar by Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19),” he said.

“We cannot be held down by COVID-19. We have to deploy all e-platforms to keep our universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and other schools open.

“COVID-19 has changed everybody. I am pleading with you to device alternative ways to make sure the education of our children will not stop. We have to create virtual learning environment,” he stated.

“This is the second meeting I am having. All I want is that we should fully engage our students. We are already speaking with the World Bank and UNICEF on how to create platforms for virtual learning classrooms.

“We need to take advantage of technology like the case in other parts of the world. We cannot shut down all schools when we have other means to teach our students,” he added.

While justifying the need to embrace the virtual teaching and learning, the minister, however, affirmed that the initiative would never replace the conventional classroom teaching and learning.

He also instructed the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) to work out modalities on how primary school pupils and secondary students could learn by using radio and television stations.

Most Vice Chancellors of private universities embraced the idea and expressed readiness to reopen their institutions. They claimed that they have top grade virtual learning system.