A Tunisian students’ union has roundly rejected a proposal by the government to move classes online and has called for a boycott of enrolment on online education platforms, raising questions about how feasible an option online education is in many African countries.
In a statement on 22 March, the General Tunisian Union of Students (UGET) rejected the proposal of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research to deliver university and other educational courses through online learning as a violation of the principle of equality and equal opportunity because not all students have personal computers, tablets, smartphones or reliable internet access.
“[We are] inviting all students to boycott enrolment on platforms for distance learning,” the statement says. It also calls for an extension of the current academic year 2019-20 following an end to the coronavirus pandemic crisis.
In a video clip on the official UGET Facebook page, UGET Secretary General Warda Ateek said distance learning was a “type of social discrimination and inequality among students”.
The limitations facing many students in Africa – exemplified by the Tunisian situation – has been recognised at various levels.
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