It is no longer news that Federal Government through the Ministry of Education ordered the closure of all schools from primary to tertiary institutions across the country due to the ravaging Covid-19 pandemic.
Recall that even before the announcement by the Federal Government, states across the country, including those in the North East, closed their schools to check the spread of the deadly virus.
But inspite of the current lockdown, various states and the Federal Government decided to create avenues through which students can continue their studies.
For example, the Lagos State Government came out with activities, three weeks ago, to engage the students, especially those in Senior Secondary School 3.
Also, early this month, after a Teleconference with heads of tertiary institutions across the country resolved that Nigerian students should resume their academic works through virtual means during this Covid-19 period.
Already, many private schools have gone virtual in teaching their students. In fact, some of them have commenced lessons for their third term online.
But educators are saying aside from electricity, which can be an impediment to the radio and TV classes, it is not easy teaching and receiving lessons through virtual means, especially for students in remote areas, who do not have access to internet or don’t even have Android phones with which they can join in the virtual class activities.
Relating her experience to our correspondent, a teacher, Mrs. Yemi Akintunde, said network problems, data and unpreparedness of both parents and the kids were the major problems that would inhibit the online learning from recording the desired results.
“I had sessions with my pupils today. Pre-scheduled and agreed by all parties, but we had network connection issues; some parents didn’t connect even though they knew I was going to call. Some even claimed not to be at home at the time of call,” she said.
She added that all the pupils she got through to were not pre-informed by their parents while some of the kids started crying that they wanted to come over to school.
For Mr. Olumide Akintoye, the current infrastructure in Nigeria could not support online classes.
Akintoye said, “As common as Google classroom/Canvas (instructor) are, just a bit more than half of my class will turn in their work after two weeks deadline.
“Ask them why, you will hear cock and bull stories- Power Holding cut our light, my phone is bad, network in my area is bad, MTN is fighting my daddy, among others.
“We build a nation where all the above excuses are germane, except we want to deceive ourselves. Even as a teacher, I have found myself in those holes before. It is not individual, it is national.
“Check it, people here are supposed to be part of the middle class. How many of us can listen to an hour class (video) that this thing called megabyte will not drain his pocket? Imagine those really below the line.”
He said except for those occupying the top echelon in the society, who are less than one per cent of Nigerians, and mostly political office holders, and “to think of online class, we are not only insensitive; we are simply jokers among the comity of nations.”
Another teacher, Mr. Oladmeji Akanni, said online teaching was not as simple as it looked.
He said, “It’s double work, in fact! After writing lesson notes and filling in the lesson plan booklet, I have to type my content into my school’s online lesson note format, send it to the school’s email for modifications and approval, then receive it back in due course to venture into Google classroom. It’s so exhausting!
“As a college English Language teacher, I have to submit five different lesson notes for each class, making it a total of 15 notes for just a week’s work (JSS1-3) because of the various aspect of English Studies (Speech work, Grammar, Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary Development, Writing and Literature-in-English).
“And as if that is not enough stress, most students are not online because parents have no money for data. Out of 50, I hardly see six students.
“The elite will always find a way out now. I pity the children whose parents can’t even afford to eat let alone have good phones.”
Mrs. Kemi Olayiwola said the challenge for her was the absence of the physical contact she used to enjoy with her pupils.
“I also miss the feedback I get after teaching. In as much as I think in my head that I am talking to them when sharing videos via WhatsApp to them, it’s not just the same. I have been forced to get a board anyway. So as to make it more real,” she said.
Another teacher, Mr. Temitope Olaniyi, said living in a place where network is bad constitutes serious hindrance, adding that parents around such areas are low income earners without Android phones.
“I cannot tell them the usefulness of Android phone now for them to get one because there main goal for now is to be alive and feed their kids,” he said.
For Mrs. Iyabo Okunola, lack of a good Android phone to interact with her pupils has hindered her performance in the virtual teaching system.
She also said some of the parents too had not been helpful as they usual don’t reply to messages sent to them for their kids.
Mrs. Toyin Onalaja said aside from inadequate data problem, online teaching could be stressful because not all of the students would be online at the same time and so they end up asking questions even after the teaching time had lapsed.
But in her response, unlike other teachers, Mrs. Mary Oyeyemi, said she’s enjoying the online class.
“It’s as if we are having a normal class with constant flow of conversation. I give them homework, mark and return it to them with comments,” she said.
