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About a week ago, the University of Nairobi (UON) turned to online teaching. According to the Daily Nation, the university’s vice-chancellor has met and approved an online time table and now UoN is partnering with Telkom to provide internet services for the students. However, not everyone is happy about this.
Telkom Kenya and UON Partnership
Here is a step by step procedure of how to acquire a telkom line facilitated by the Universityhttps://t.co/bueeXI8ga9
— University of Nairobi (@uonbi) April 20, 2020
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This is not the first case of a partnership between a Telco and a university. Both Daystar University and USIU have received similar deals from different telcos. The idea looks to benefit both the school and the Telco.
The students get access to the reading materials online and the Telco gets a boost on their bundle package sales so to speak. Unfortunately, there are a few implications.
- This move, (online learning) suggests that students in Science courses might not benefit from the programme.
- Lecturers at the university have since criticized the decision saying neither were they consulted nor ready.
- Mr Orindi, UoN director of corporate affairs, says those who will be unable to access the Internet will continue with their studies once universities re-open.
However, the move has so received negative feedback from students all over the country and beyond.
This is the real situation on the ground. Read through with a human heart, you will find a lot of sense in it. #DoesUoNEvenCare pic.twitter.com/VXKA06NQfX
— Ero Productions (@eroproductions) April 18, 2020
What about international students who travelled back home like me in Uganda? How are we catered for in this data and bundles programme?
— John Bosco Nsengiyumva (@nsenga_john) April 18, 2020
Other than having a problem with the school, it seems that most students do not want to use Telkom. They are not completely happy with the services the Telco provides.
we need safaricom cards with bundles no telkom card. some parts of the country are not covered with telkom but safaricom do cover better part of it.
— Hon. Mavance KE (@Mavance_KE) April 18, 2020
Our current network situations upcountry. Now that rains have set out??? pic.twitter.com/y7jM66yUFJ
— Ondieki George (@BrilliantGeorg1) April 18, 2020
@uonbi I use a neon kika , single line which cannot accept a different line other than Safaricom. How will I join online classes now, my region is only connected to slow 2G network where only Safaricom can be relied on
— Byron Aduda (@AdudaByron) April 20, 2020
[…] comes shortly after news came out that the university had agreed to partner with Telkom Kenya to provide free data bundles for faculty and students to facilitate online learning. There were […]