ASUU Strike: The Biggest Setback to Virtual Learning in Nigeria

With virtual learning being the only alternative to the continuation of academic activities of all tertiary institutions in Nigeria and most countries in the world in this coronavirus pandemic era, the strike action embarked by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) still stands as a hindrance in public institutions in Nigeria.

Also See: Factors Affecting Virtual Learning in Nigeria

Recall that university lecturers embarked on a warning strike action on 9th of March, 2020, and an indefinite strike action on 23th of March, 2020, with the enforcement of the Integrated Personnel Payroll System (IPPIS) heading the lists of their grievances with the federal government. This strike action stands as an obstacle to the actualization of the adoption of the virtual learning system in public universities.

Also, recall from our previous article, where we look into the readiness of tertiary institutions to adopt the system, we explained virtual learning to be a type of learning done in an educational setting with the use of online resources (the internet). The instruction most commonly takes place in an online environment. The teaching activities are carried out online whereby the teacher and learners are physically separated (in terms of place, time, or both).

The virtual learning system has been doing so well in advanced countries and institutions that are using it. The benefits of switching to the virtual learning mode are admirable and a must, most especially in this coronavirus pandemic era where social gatherings are not advisable to curb the spread of the coronavirus, but the strike action by the lecturers stands as the biggest hindrance to the adoption of the virtual learning system in public universities.

Unless the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) do find a way to either enforce IPPIS in a way that will suit both parties or integrate the system or any find any other remedy to end the current strike action, virtual learning will not be a reality in public universities in the country and which will be very bad, as they contain more numbers of students in tertiary institutions.

The virtual learning system is basically just a school setting with academic activities done online. Just like a traditional school, for knowledge to be passed from one person to another person, there must be at least two or more people. One of the people would be the person with the knowledge (teacher) to give out, while the other person(s) would be the person to receive the knowledge (student) and make use of it as suppose. This means it cannot come into a reality when the lecturers are absent which they currently are.

Though for virtual learning to be fully adopted in public universities, it still has to overcome some factors that might hinder its actuality, but that is a story for another day because all these factors will not play out when the lecturers are on the strike action.

The readiness of the institutions, lecturers, students, and the federal government also counts when adopting the virtual learning system as discussed in our previous article, but the current strike action by the lecturer’s union, ASUU surpasses them all.