LDC students with Speaker Kadaga
Students at the Law Development Centre have petitioned Speaker Rebecca Kadaga seeking Parliament to rescind its earlier position banning online studies.
The law students argue that the ban contravenes their right to education.
Led by LDC Guild Speaker, Joannita Lwensisi, the LDC students handed over their petition to Kadaga and accused Kasilo County MP, Elijah Okupa of staining the parliamentary Hansard with falsehoods when he alleged that LDC was examining students and asking for a fee of Shs20,000 to facilitate the online studies.
“LDC is must be commended for the scientific approach used to reach its decision to continue third term online. Suspending the online education classes only does more harm than good. The rent bills are piling up to tunes higher than our tuition,” Lwensisi said.
Last week, the Ministry of Education and Sports ordered the LDC to stop administering online lessons after MP Okupa raised a concern that the latest mode of learning is likely to disadvantage students who may not have the infrastructure to access these services.
Okupa asked why the LDC was carrying out online exams in total disregard of President Yoweri Museveni’s directive to close education Institutions as a measure to combat the spread of Corona virus in the country.
However, the Bar Course students rejected the claims, accusing Okupa of littering the Hansard with falsehoods and that students aren’t being charged Shs20,000 as registration fees for online exams.
Lwensisi said that LDC administration embarked on online studies following multiple requests from the students and in a selfless effort to keep the students academically engaged, LDC management first resolved to conduct a two week survey on the feasibility of online studies.
While responding to the petition, Hamson Obua, State Minister for Sports acknowledged receipt of the petition but asked Parliament to give the Ministry of Education and Sports two weeks to study the policy on e-learning for the whole education sector instead of considering different institutions in piece meal.
