Opinion 2: 3 Reasons I think off-campus learning should not be compromised

After what seemed like forever, a resumption date has finally been fixed for a new academic session. As students prepare for resumption, many have been trying to guess what accommodation will look like for students, most especially with the fact that the school will not be providing accommodation due to the covid-19 pandemic which has even emerged with a new variant.

However, students are really not happy with the idea of distant/online learning which doesn’t avail the opportunity to reside within the school premises like it used to be in previous times before the advent of the Coronavirus. Many students are now trying their hardest to find accommodation around the school environs or just trying to figure out what learning from home will look like.

Well, I think the school has made the best decision so far, as regards accommodation due to the following reasons.

• The safety of the students: It is no surprise that if everyone were to resume in the hall like it used to be, there will be a huge increase in Covid 19 cases. This is because social distancing will be compromised. Asides from the regular activities that student engage in the hall, friends who haven’t seen each other in a long time cannot but embrace themselves. Just imagine a scenario of someone getting infected in a particular block, and then asides from the fear and panic, everyone is told to vacate the block or the whole hall for a fumigation exercise. If that happens, some students will get stranded and find it difficult to cope and prepare for school activities.

• High cost of implementing Covid 19 protocols: Also, having to constantly supply Covid 19 prevention aids such as hand sanitisers, purifiers, face masks and thermometers for every hall, department and faculties might not be very consistent and effective due to the high cost involved in sponsorship, maintenance, establishment and enforcement of the use of deliberate practice round the semester or session.

• Adjusting with the times: Another major reason I think off-campus schooling should not be compromised is that students need to learn how to adapt to change. It’s no news that the world is changing very fast into a technology-oriented circle, where physical presence is no longer a priority. Hence, students should stop complaining and learn to embrace this new development because this system has probably come to stay and will influence a lot of future dealings in the long run.

ALUKO DEBORAH