Contact lessons cancelled, but some oppose blended learning

Higher learning institutions in Zimbabwe have postponed, until further notice, all contact learning that was scheduled to start at the beginning of the year after the government hastily introduced a 30-day national lockdown aimed at curbing an increase in COVID-19 infections. But an increase in tuition fees at many institutions could undermine blended learning.

The number of new coronavirus cases in Zimbabwe increased from 8,374 on 1 November 2020 to 14,084 by 1 January 2021 and, since then, infections and deaths have risen exponentially.

Midlands State University, the National University of Science and Technology and the Great Zimbabwe University are some of the institutions that have announced a deferment of face-to-face lectures, which were to commence on 4 January. The universities implored students to continue to pay their fees in full to enable them to attend online classes that began on 11 January.

Fee increases

Whereas universities are still reviewing their fees, teachers colleges, polytechnics and industrial training colleges have already been allowed to increase their tuition fees; this has riled students.

Tuition for national diplomas is now pegged at Z$12,500 (US$34.54). The national certificate fee is Z$8,500 (US$23.49), the national founding certificate fee Z$2,500 (US$6.91), the national diploma Z$13,500 (US$37.30), and the bachelor of technology degree at Z$15,500 (US$42.83). Meals have gone up from Z$7,000 (US$19.34) to Z$16,200 (US$44.76).

The students, represented by the biggest student union, Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) have argued that the fees were unilaterally determined, without consultation with the students, who are critical stakeholders.

Professor Fanuel Tagwira, the permanent secretary of higher and tertiary education, innovation, science and technology, said the fees were affordable and the reason the government kept them low was to ensure that every student had a chance to get an education.

“Students think that the government pays for everything but the reality is that the government only pays salaries to staff at colleges and universities; the rest of the institutions have to cater for themselves,” he told University World News.

“This year, because of COVID-19, the government has gone a step further and provided money for ICT. We are buying laptops for colleges. We put servers into different universities which will also be accessible to colleges. With funds from this year’s budget, we are funding internet connectivity that will connect all the colleges together,” he said.

Blended learning to prevail

During 2020, many institutions could not conduct contact learning and switched to online learning. However, the new mode of learning was rejected by students, who described it as expensive and elitist.

The lack of access to digital technology, poor internet connectivity and inadequate Wi-Fi also made teaching and learning difficult while the online teaching skills of lecturers and the arrests of student leaders further rocked the sector.

Tagwira said that, unless a positive change in the COVID-19 outlook is experienced, there was no going back to contact learning. “E-learning and distance learning are going to be a constant for quite some time, so we are investing in ICT to interconnect our institutions and the institutions are training their staff in the delivery of online learning because we feel that, even beyond the pandemic, a lot is going to happen online,” he said.

Professor Eddie Mwenje, the chairman of the Zimbabwe University Vice-Chancellors Association, said last year COVID-19 restrictions forced the majority of universities to adopt a blended learning system (both contact and online learning) and this mode was likely to prevail for half or the greater part of the year.

He told University World News that a blended learning system allowed students to “come in for a month or so and go away and then come back to write examinations for a period of two weeks”. Mwenje said he did not foresee the sector making a major shift away from blended learning unless COVID-19 forces a switch to digital learning only.

He said the advent of the coronavirus allowed the higher education sector to embrace modern teaching technologies much faster than normally would have happened.

ZINASU secretary-general Tapiwanashe Chiriga said students expected a gradual and responsible return to contact learning but, with the recent spike in COVID-19 cases – and the potential spread of a new COVID-19 variant – there was a strong possibility that learning would proceed online with improved access and better planning. He also raised some concerns.

“As long as institutions continue to charge full fees and not provide data bundles for poor students, education will remain beyond the access of many students. Online learning platforms are also out of reach for students who have yet to register, unlike contact lectures that students would attend. It’s a challenge that we intend to confront soon,” Chiriga told University World News.