I'm passionate about education, very passionate. Good and well-received education does something very good to a human being. That’s why education is taken seriously by serious people and in serious societies of the world. Yesterday I listened with keen interest as the Rivers State commissioner for education talked about the idea of resuming academic activities in the state online. The idea of having teaching and learning go on online is a wonderful one. But it is not feasible in this part of the world now. It takes a day to begin a story, I know. But not this kind of story, except the government would be comfortable to sideline majority of students and pupils. In my estimation, about 75% of students of both public and private schools will not be able to key into online learning. No need to dissipate energy in talking about why, we already know the reasons. If it can be done, the government should rather look at how physical spacing and distancing can be applied in schools, and let schools be reopened. Maybe students can be made to sit two on a long desk, and classes held in batches, and other physical distancing measures adopted. Otherwise let schools remain closed till when it is safe to reopen them. If the government of Rivers State insists on resuming schools online, then only the big schools will be able to operate and only the big men’s children will be able to learn.
Kingsley Onwuka