The Education Rights Campaign (ERC) has described the Federal Government’s plan to provide students in public secondary and tertiary schools with a daily 100 megabytes of data to access approved educational websites and digital learning platforms as tokenistic and ridiculous.
In a statement signed by its Deputy National Coordinator, Ogunjimi Isaac, and National Mobilisation Officer, Adaramoye Michael Lenin, the group said the initiative appears good on the surface but the allocation is paltry.
“The Education Rights Campaign considers the Federal Government’s plan to provide students in public secondary and tertiary schools with a daily 100 megabytes of data to access approved educational websites and digital learning platforms tokenistic and ridiculous,” the statement said.
The ERC said one would expect a holistic approach that would clearly achieve the aim of providing students access to educational materials, but the present plan appears directionless.
“Considering that the acclaimed data package is an initiative to provide students access to educational materials, one would expect a holistic approach which would clearly achieve this aim. Apparently, this appears to be another directionless initiative without any potential to achieve its aim,” it said.
As an alternative, the group demanded an unlimited data package for all Nigerian students in public schools.
“As an immediate alternative, the Education Rights Campaign demands an unlimited data package for all Nigerian students in public schools to access educational materials. By doing so, students would not be impeded by the soaring cost of internet access,” the ERC said.
It said the demand is only a first step towards resolving the problem, noting the need for massive investment in ICT centres and facilities in schools to aid digital learning and development of students and education workers, including a general overhaul of facilities.
It added that with high inflation and high cost of living, not every student can afford internet and digital-enabled devices.
“There is a need for massive investment in ICT centres and facilities in schools to aid digital learning and development of students and educational workers. This, of course, must also include the general overhaul of facilities in schools.
“Besides, given high inflation and high cost of living, it is not every student that can afford internet and digital enabled devices. Therefore, the government has to make such devices available at a heavily subsidised rate for students so that they can benefit from such an initiative,” the group said.
The ERC said the high cost of internet access affects students and the masses and accused both government and network providers of culpability.
“We in the Education Rights Campaign note the high cost of internet access, which affects students and the masses. Our belief is that the government must address this, and not merely try to scratch the surface of the issue.
“Importantly, the government and network providers are both culpable in this. Over the years, the network providers have been imposing extortionist fees on internet access for Nigerians,” it said.
It said the Nigeria Communications Commission has kept mute while providers continue to impose exorbitant fees with poor service delivery.
” In other words, Nigerians still experience frustrating poor service, while the fees on communication and internet access do not justify the service delivery,” the ERC said.
The group also called for nationalisation of the communication sector and its democratic management by workers.
“Additionally, we call on the government to properly fund education, while also democratising the decision-making organs of institutions to include the active participation of students, parents and education workers,” it added.
(The Whistler)
