Here and elsewhere, the Covid-19 pandemic has turned things around. All structures have felt the effects of this pandemic due to the response measures against it. In this situation, state and non-state structures seek to accommodate this new reality. In Togo, it is the example of the University of Lomé which innovates by announcing the impending online courses for its students in a context of health crisis where all educational and university institutions are closed. An announcement that leaves the students of that institution in a certain perplexity.
The university of Lomé intends to save the academic year 2019-2020, which has so far been suspended because of the retaliatation measures against Covid-19. To do so, it is announced that courses will begin for undergraduate and master students via the Social and Collaborative Network of the University of Lomé (RESCOUL). Through this tool, the CLASSEs of the MOUSSON semester will be given to these students who can continue their training from their respective places of residence.
If under other skies, countries are very far in this system of online courses, this is not the case for Togo let alone the University of Lomé. But this time, the situation obliges. That is the only way that is currently possible. Indeed, in this time of crisis, students and their teachers can only use digital and computer science to, if they really want to reduce a little the collateral damage of the response against Covid-19 that has already changed the university calendar (the exams of the semester HARMATTAN suspended in the middle, uncertainty in the face of a possible opening of the doors of the university …). "The introduction of the courses online by the University of Lomé for the benefit of its students will give them the opportunity to continue working remotely safely at this time from mobility restrictions in the face of the pandemic," reads the official page of the University of Lomé.
The system will therefore be organized so that students while attending classes will have the opportunity to ask questions and have answers from their teachers. It will therefore be a platform for teacher-student exchanges: "The online courses will consist of theoretical teaching units taught by the teacher and a question-and-answer platform between students and the teacher," the statement said. Founded on April 20, 2018, RESCOUL is a social network set up at UL to facilitate exchanges between the actors of the said community. It consists of a virtual space that renews and enriches the educational experience of members of the university community. Even if in the last two years the RESCOUL has not radiated as the actors would have liked, it is therefore the time to use this tool to the great benefit of all the players in the academic world.
However, when these courses were announced online, there was not total satisfaction among the students. They have had mixed feelings about the possibility of online courses given their living conditions, which have become even harsher since the effectiveness of the retaliative measures against Covid-19.
The few students we had to approach did not hesitate to talk about the problems they face. For them, online courses imply a computer tool in good condition, a good internet connection. Today there are still a good number of students in Togo's universities who do not yet have a computer tool.
Even if this problem can be solved, it takes a substantial financial way to either acquire a machine or move around a cyber to be able to follow the courses. "So far we have not yet returned to our grants and allowances 6 months after the start of the school year. This is a parenthesis. Authorities are announcing online courses. I hope they are aware of the high cost of internet connection in our country. How can we get out of this when we are the great forgotten of the government's accompanying measures? "A UL student told us.
Of course, many students did small activities outside of their studies to meet their most basic needs because the allowances no longer serve much in the face of the high cost of living. In fact, not all benefit from these allowances. Thanks to their activities many even manage to pay their registration fees. With the effects of Covid-19 and the retaliate measures, all these activities are ashore. But it is clear that all this beautiful world is forgotten in the accompanying measures put in place by the government. At present in the world, it would be inconceivable to argue that the student is still dependent on his parents who themselves hardly survive.
In reality, the initiative of the university authorities is basically appreciated by the majority of students. But they are not asking for the means to be made available to them to enable them to benefit in due form from these online courses. The university authorities are therefore being asked to mature the reflections so that this innovative measure is not a mess that would further sow confusion among students.
www.independantexpress.net
Amos D