By Stuart Bogere

KIU, Main Campus - The National Council for Higher education has issued new guidelines for e-learning to be followed by all institutions of higher learning across the country before being permitted to commence remote teaching during the ongoing lockdown.

One of the guidelines requires Universities to undertake a survey on students indicating their willingness to participate in online learning and showcase mitigation measures of redress for those who will miss out.

Universities have also been asked to submit specific details of the equipment, data provision or the available logistical arrangements of how materials will be delivered to learners.

The council’s executive director Mary Okwakol says all universities have been served with the above guidelines and it is tentative for them to apply for permission.

The ministry of Education BTVET commissioner, Dr Safinah Musene, observed that some of their institutions were already using a blended approach to conduct teaching where videos demonstrating an activity are posted on the WhatsApp groups for illustration for students currently at home. 

“After appreciating that COVID-19 is not going tomorrow, we need to plan another mechanism of training. We are going digital. We are developing a digital agenda for education. Once this is done, it will help us to map out how to go forward. We now have meetings online and lessons have started taking place on zoom,” Dr Musene said. 

Kampala International University has strongly expressed its readiness to comply with the above guidelines.

However, Hon. Janet Museveni, the Minister of Education and Sports while addressing the nation recently, said that education institutions which can afford to study online should embrace it with the exception of conducting examinations.

Picture credit: KIU Website