State-run universities are looking at accelerating online classes in the hope that the ongoing pandemic will not disrupt the higher education of students across the country, but stable internet connection is posing the threat of a digital divide.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has sent a directive to state-run universities giving them the authority to shift to online based lessons.
“We already have some levels of online classes going on. What they ask now is to use it a little bit more. It is a pilot project,” President of the Federation of University Teachers’ Association (FUTA) Prof. B. M. H. S. K. Bannehaka told the Sunday Observer.
The UGC has had discussions with several internet providers to ensure that some of the IP addresses used in online teaching are made freely available so that it will not cost students a fee.
Prof. Bannehaka said the system will not bombard students with work at once, but will gradually increase the usage of the internet in teaching.
“There are a lot of concerns we have to look at,” he said. The FUTA is currently collecting data from students and other parties to ensure that no student is left behind in the process.
Reflecting on the matter Dr. Mohamed Mubarak of South Eastern University said they have already started online lessons, and observed that 10 to 15 per cent of the students do not engage in online lessons due to the non-availability of resources.
It is the same with the lecturers, he said, some lecturers do not have the necessary infrastructure such as a good camera, laptops or computers. “Some are not used to it too,” he said.
According to the Household Survey on Computer Literacy conducted in 2006/2007 by the Department of Census and Statistics, only 8.2 per cent of all households in the country own a computer and 16.4 per cent of these households are in the Western Province. Only 6.9 per cent of rural and 1.1 per cent of estate sector households own computers. It further reveals that internet facility is available in 2.4 per cent of households in Sri Lanka.
Data by Hootsuite, a leading social media management platform, shows a more positive picture. In a report released early last year it shows that 34 per cent of the country’s population are internet users. However, the country still lacks total connectivity.
President of the University Students’ Union of the University of Jaffna Lewis Arulanantham Anushan said most of the students have the facilities needed to be part of an online class, but some do not even have a smartphone.
“Network problem is the biggest issue. Some students in the hill country do not have a good network connection,” he said adding that in this backdrop conducting online classes could be discriminatory.