Tunde Ojerinola

Aliyah Yusufu, a 300-level student at the University of Ibadan Distance Learning Centre, Shasha, believes that she and many of her colleagues have often been treated with disregard by the school management.

At the UI Distance Learning Center, students battle with untold challenges. Some of these, according to Aliyah, have been overcrowded classes, a persistent delay in distribution of transcripts,  a compulsory ₦10,000 charge imposed on students to access their academic results, among others.

Lamenting, she decried the perpetual occasions where  scheduled classes were cancelled due the unavailability of some lecturers.

Also, while the regular students could run to their student representatives to raise alarm about issues affecting them,  this community of students (DLC students) does not have a strong leadership channel through which it can have its concerns administered. Although each department has a class representative, the leadership, she said, has often proven not be to be proactive in terms of addressing their concerns to a reasonable extent.

What makes the situation worse, according to her, has been the fact that  their complaints have often been met with little or no response and attention from the management.

“They are very harsh. They don’t consider students at all. There was a time I went to complain about a result, and they reacted terribly. They don’t take us seriously. They can just pack our scripts somewhere and mix them with other departments. We always complain, but they keep telling us to come back,”  Aliyah Yusufu told IndyPress.

The University of Ibadan Distance Learning can be traced to 1972 when the idea of distant education was first conceived by the Department of Adult Education, Faculty of Education, UI.

Receiving a Senate approval in 1976, the DLC programs later grew into the External Degrees Programme in the 1988/89 academic session. By 2002, the programme had evolved into what is now known as the Distance Learning Centre.

Beginning with a few departments, the DLC expanded steadily to cover several faculties, including The Social Sciences, Arts, Science, Agriculture, and more, leading to a rapid rise in enrolment, from about 1,300 students in 2004 to more than 16,000 as of 2010.

The Centre moved from its initial wooden office structure on campus to 20 Awolowo Avenue, Bodija, in 2005, and to its permanent Lagos facility at 16 Ajanaku Street in 2008, a complex donated by the late Chief Olasupo Morohundiya. Today, the DLC operates from both the UI campus and the Lagos centre, offering distant education to its growing student population.

While distance learning was once dominated by older learners, the demographic has shifted. More young persons now apply for the program, often after setbacks in external examinations like Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME). Yet, at the University of Ibadan, these students face a distinct set of challenges, including slow administrative responses, restricted opportunities, and examination-related issues.

“We Are Limited”- Shehu Aminat

Shehu Aminat, another 300-level student, lamented that UI DLC students face limitations that their counterparts in regular programmes do not. She noted that their matriculation  numbers alone often deny them access to opportunities such as student loans and scholarships.

“When we apply for opportunities, our matric numbers alone limit us. Yours starts with two-something, but ours starts with E-zero. So, whenever we apply for a student loan, the system always says invalid. Some students who can’t afford the fees eventually drop out because there is no student loan for them,” Shehu Aminat told IndyPress.

Aminat added that the late release of results is another major challenge, sometimes even affecting student in their final lap.

“You may be in the 500 level and still be struggling with results from the 100 level. Your statement of results or CGPA may not be available. Some 500-level students still have ‘awaiting results’ showing on their portals,” she explained.

She also described the learning environment of the Distance Learning Center as unconducive and uncoordinated, noting that lecturers frequently fail to show up for classes. According to her, DLC students combine online and physical classes within a tight six-week timeframe for each.

In her charge to the management of the University of Ibadan, she said,”The way they address you guys’ matters with immediate effect, they should also do the same to ours.”

Similarly, another student, Deti, highlighted examination-related difficulties, including clashing exam schedules, inadequate notice before assessments, and the stress that comes with physical CBT exams often due to overcrowded spaces or malfunctioning systems.

Deti also echoed concerns about administrative delays, particularly the slow processing of results and response to student complaints from the DLC office.

“There are a number of challenges facing us at DLC. We don’t have access to our results. When we complain to management, we don’t get a timely response. Even writing examinations often comes with stress as the CBT systems turn to malfunction,” Deti lamented.

The Gap Between DLC Students and Regular Students

The gap between the Distance Learning students and their regular counterparts remains wide. As Aminat noted, there are several opportunities accessible to regular students that  this community of students does not enjoy.

It was in response to this disparity that the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode Adebowale, assured candidates writing the Post-UTME at the Distance Learning Centre a session ago that both groups of students would have equal rights and opportunities.

“There will be no distinction between DLC students and their counterparts on the main campus. They will have access to the same quality of education, the same resources, and the same opportunities,”  Professor Kayode Adebowale promised.

“If anybody fails the Post-UTME examination, you can come and sit for our examination. If you pass, then you will be admitted into the University. We organise our own exam, and if you pass it, you will be admitted into UI through the DLC.”

“Conversely, our Open Distance eLearning mode leverages virtual technology to deliver curriculum by the same lecturers to students regardless of their location. While the physical classroom mode is confined by physical space limitations, the ODeL mode offers a virtual, open, and borderless learning environment, taught by the same esteemed UI lecturers.

“They should be rest assured that their UI education through ODeL will hold the same value and prestige as that of their on-campus counterparts,” he added.

One year after the assurance, UI DLC students are still faced with unequal academic opportunities that their counterparts enjoy, despite paying higher fees.

It is therefore pertinent that students of the University of Ibadan Distance Learning Centre are treated fairly and granted the same opportunities enjoyed by their counterparts on campus.

Their challenges, ranging from overcrowded lectures and examination difficulties to poor administrative treatment must be urgently addressed by the UI  Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kayode Adebowale, and the Distance Learning Director, Professor Omobowale.

To  demand for these cannot be too much. Finally, they should also be allowed to have their own Students’ Union, which will serve as a platform for expressing their concerns and ensuring their grievances are heard and resolved.

EDITOR’S WARNING: Names of characters have been changed because of the University of Ibadan intolerance to dissent and freedom of expression.