By Nelson Manneh
Antouman Jagne a former student of the Gambia College school of Nursing who is currently working with the Medical Research Council (MRC) said the Gambia College deserve better.
Mr. Jagne who was the former president of the Gambia College Students Union said it is with utter consternation that there is a delay in issuing megabytes to students of The Gambia College.
The Gambia College has introduced online classes to conduct lessons for students. This came after the President made the proclamation declaring a state of emergency in which schools, colleges and universities were closed.
Many students at the Gambia College complained that the management of the Gambia College has promised to give them megabytes which they should be using for their distance learning but up to date they have not received it.
Some students have stopped to attend the online classes because they said they cannot afford to buy megabytes any more.
“Extraordinary moments call for extraordinary steps and assisting students of the Gambia College in their time of need is indeed worthwhile,” said Antouman Jagne.
The former president of the Gambia College Students Union said the amount of megabytes proposed to be sent to the students is already under question considering the amount of lectures one has to attend per day and to add more salt to the injury, the meagre 500mb is taking forever to reach students.
“It is totally disheartening to realise that the oldest and biggest tertiary institution in The Gambia, graduating competent Nurses, Teachers, Public health officers and Agriculturists is left craving for what is supposed to be its entitlements. Gambia College is still an orphan institution just when we thought things will change for the better,” he said.
Mr Jagne said during these difficult moments, students of the Gambia College are faced with new challenges ranging from internet connectivity, power supply to affordability of data.
“With the aforementioned, it is very apt to respond to the needs of the students duly in order for them to access their lectures regularly and on time,” Jagne lamented.
He said there should be equitable distribution of resources, in that, Gambia College will grossly benefit because, in his view, there is no tertiary institution in the country that is worthier for support than the Gambia College.
Foroyaa will engage students from all the four sister schools of the Gambia College namely the School of Education, School of Public Health, School of Agriculture and the School of Nursing and the management of the Gambia College to know whether the online classes are effective and whether the students are given their megabits as promised.
