UZ to Offer Data bundles to Students

The University of Zimbabwe (UZ)  has assured students that it will provide them with data for their lessons. The move will enable students to participate in online lessons with proper assistance from their lectures, in order to mitigate the effects of covid 19 on their education.

The institution has entered into an agreement with leading telecoms companies so as to provide students with subsidized data bundles.

However, since the institution reopened its doors in July after the corona virus induced closure, students have not yet received the data bundles besides having made the requisite payments.

Rangarirai Muchenje, a 4th year students studying social work at UZ told the 263 Times on Thursday that they are learning through online platforms for this year due to the covid 19 preventive measures, even though they are facing challenges since the institution is not meeting the demands of the students.

”We are learning through online and we have paid our fees in full so as to obtain data but no data has been availed to us, and this is challenging us as students ,” Said Rangarirai.

”We are struggling learners and the majority of us at school are  from poor family backgrounds and our parents had managed to pay fees on top of the $1 200 rtgs but no service have been provided for us,” Rangarirai added.

Most students are still waiting for the data bundles to be issues and the institution has promised to fulfill it’s end of the bargain.

”We have been looking forward to be issued data by Uz as it promised so that online lectures could go smoothly but the online lectures are going other way round since not all of us can afford data everyday for downloading notes.” Said a student who refused to be named.

Furthermore, some students went on to say that even lecturers have not been given data that the UZ assured and some of them have told the students in confidence.

”Our lectures have not been given data also, as they complain  and there is need for us students and lecturers to be given data so that the online lectures goes smoothly.” Said another student in social science department who also declined to be named.

”Exams will commence in January 2021 with no proper online lectures taking place,” she added.

Students went on to suggest that, data is one of the most powerful tools, to engage and create opportunities since classrooms and lecture theaters can no longer be used optimally like in the past as students must observe soacial distancing.

Students have requested the help of the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education in solving this matter.

”It seems that the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education has failed to solve this matte, but we request that it may solve this matter.” Said another student.

At the point of publication 263times hadn’t had a comment from the UZ Information and Publicity Secretary Watson Mavhura, whose mobile phone went continuously unanswered. But another official in he department said that they are working on the modalities to offer the data.

 

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

0 Comments
x
scroll to top