New normal: Cautious optimism as varsities reopen after 7 months

Most of the higher learning institutions in the country opened their doors to students for the first time this week on Monday, October 12, two days to seven months since schools were closed over Covid-19. When The New Times visited the Kagarama-based Mount Kenya University, Kigali, on Tuesday morning, students were already filing in to sit for exams before they resume ordinary classes later in the week. Before entering, there is no need to record the student’s particulars, like the practice in many public buildings. Here it is all done through a USSD code that is entered in a phone, and all the needed data is stored for tracing purposes. Thereafter, they are all required to pass through a sanitisation booth to disinfect the entire body. After seven months, students are excited to meet again, it is visible that they want to greet, probably hug one another, but the university management say they will be watching out for such, to ensure no such contact happens. “Do you see how excited they are? We need to always monitor them so we can avoid them getting in contact, hug, etc,” says Joyce Kirabo, the Dean of Students at Mount Kenya University. Much as universities are opening, the exercise will be done in phases. This phased reopening is taking place amid the updated Covid-19 government guidance, which limits large gatherings that can facilitate the spread of the virus. However, several private universities have implemented strong guidelines to make sure students are provided with opportunities to move on with their studies, in a safe environment. Isolation rooms All the universities visited by The New Times had isolation rooms which will act as sickbays in case there is a student, staff or visitor who shows some symptoms of Covid-19. “Let’s say someone presents abnormal temperature or shows other Covid-19 signs, we will isolate them in a sickbay as they wait for advanced treatment”, says Alphonse Niyibizi, the head of facilities at African Leadership University. The rooms with specialized medics were also observed at Mount Kenya University and African Institute of Mathematical Sciences. Covid-19 taskforce To make sure all standard operating procedures on Covid-19 are respected, most of the universities have appointed selected youth volunteers to be part of the taskforces in place to monitor the campuses. At Mount Kenya University, more than twenty youth volunteers have been selected to work two-daily shifts, whereas ALU’s taskforce team contains numerous campus coordinators whose goal is to make sure the Covid-19 protocol is respected. At AIMS, a small number of students who are taking classes (as little as 45 on the whole campus) are monitored by the staff. Blended learning Students at AIMS have already started their courses and social distancing is strictly respected, as observed by The New Times team. No chalkboards are being used, lecturers use projectors and every student has a laptop. Blended learning is more than ever needed says Professor Sam Yala, the institute’s President. African Institute of Mathematical Sciences students during a class on Monday, October 12. They all have to sit respecting measures to fight against Covid-19. / Photo: Willy Mucyo This type of learning will ensure students spend much of the time learning online than in a physical classroom. “To make sure, we minimise any kind of contact, we are turning more to the blended mode of learning, and we have expanded our classrooms. Social distancing is respected in class, dining halls, hostels, etc.”, said Yala. For other universities like Mount Kenya, some courses will be livestreamed to students in another class whereas ALU is still offering fully online classes until January. All educators echoed the same views to caution students not to take for granted this opportunity they had been given as the pandemic’s end is still unknown. “We have implemented very robust guidelines, but the responsibilities to social distance rests not only on the staff but also the students. We ask them to strictly follow the protocols set,” said Mercyline Kamanda (Phd), the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Mount Kenya University. “We don’t want cases reported from school campuses”, she added. Students at the universities that were visited said they would respect the SOPs as set out, saying that the cost of not doing that would be much harsher. Mbeghan Mirabeau, a Cameroonian student who is in the final year at University of Kigali, where he is pursuing a degree in procurement. “We can’t have an education without life, so following the protocols implemented by the school is crucial. We have lost a lot because of Covid-19, we can’t be complacent,” he says. For Moses Mugabo, the Guild President at the same university, several punishments have been put in place for students who violate the guidelines. “All students are aware that whenever you are caught hugging, greeting or kissing, you are suspended and instructed to take a Covid-19 test before returning to the campus,” Mugabo said.

News

New normal: Cautious optimism as varsities reopen after 7 months