The Vice-Chancellor, International Open University聽(IOU),聽Kanifing, The Gambia,聽Prof.聽Chemo Omar Barry,聽has raised the alarm over聽the聽increasing number students leaving the country聽for studies聽abroad.
Barry spoke while presenting a paper聽during the Regional Training and Research Institute for Distance and Open Learning (RETRIDOL) of the 水果派 of Nigeria’s (NOUN) virtual monthly discourse.
The discourse, which was聽held聽on聽Monday,聽June聽26, 2023,聽was聽titled: 鈥淗ow Online Education Can Change the Narratives in Access to Quality and Affordable Higher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa.”
According to him, “Students’ movements from one setting to another remain very challenging mainly because such movements are forced on the population for economic or educational reasons.
“Rural-urban聽(migration)聽depletes the best of the population in the rural settings making the rural urban settings population poorer, smaller and largely underdeveloped, and all the skills move away,鈥 he said.
The speaker added that聽“Subregional聽(migration)聽takes away the best of the population from other more attractive nations. Intercontinental聽(migration is)聽the most difficult form of migration that has caused brain drain, created irregular migration routes killing thousands of youths, and those seeking knowledge remain in these developed countries refusing to return to poverty and little incentives.”
Speaking on the challenges,聽the Vice-Chancellor聽said “Even where online education continues to present a more cost-effective and affordable solution, some key areas remain a challenge.”
He identified the challenges as internet penetration, technological聽infrastructure, low digital skills, student retention,聽among others.
On his part, NOUN聽VC,聽Prof. Olufemi Peters,聽while welcoming the IOU helmsman聽to the lecturer series,聽commended him for a wonderful presentation聽and sharing from聽his wealth of knowledge.
鈥淭his will facilitate continuous collaboration between the two universities,鈥漢e added.
The聽Director, African Centre of聽Excellence聽on聽Technology聽Enhanced聽Learning聽(ACETEL),聽Prof. Grace Jokthan,聽who聽represented聽the聽RETRIDOL聽Director, Prof. Christine Ofulue,聽equally聽commended the presenter聽for a well-researched presentation.