The Ministry of Education and Sports has ordered the Law Development Center (LDC) to stop administering online lessons after MPs expressed concern that the electronic learning platform is likely to disadvantage students who may not have the infrastructure to access these services.
Government’s directive was revealed by the Minister of State for Sports, Denis Obua during Thursday’s plenary sitting in response to a concern raised by Elijah Okupa (Kasilo County) who asked why the Law Development Center was carrying out online exams in total disregard of President Yoweri Museveni’s directive to close education Institutions as a measure to combat the spread of Coronavirus in the country.
While addressing the issue, Obua said the Ministry of Education had contacted Law Development Center officials who admitted that they’re carrying out online exams, defending the decision on the basis that 70% of their students had access to the internet and laptops.
Obua said, “Despite the fact that Higher Institutions had been closed, the Law Development Center had started teaching online. They accepted that they had resumed and said that teaching online was on assumption that 70% of students had access to e-learning. We agreed that until Gov’t advised otherwise, they stopped the online lessons and they agreed to stop and they have stopped the online lectures. They have accepted they stop.”
Speaker Rebecca Kadaga also asked the Ministry to cross-check with Uganda Martyrs University, revealing she received an email from a student complaining about the online exams.
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However, Okupa rejected a statement from the Ministry that LDC had stopped the online lectures saying by plenary time, students were still attending the online lectures.
Odonga Otto (Aruu County) protested the decision to halt the online lectures at LDC arguing, “LDC is a unique Institution. Law Development Center is a monopolist, it’s the only Institution that passes advocates in Uganda. This country is short of advocates. Who would lose if LDC is doing online exams?”
Kadaga, however, told him off saying the Law Development Center online lectures had been subject to debate in Parliament because some of the affected students had complained noting, “If people hadn’t complained, we wouldn’t have come to that.”
