Race against time as varsity studies resume

Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) officials at a past press briefing. Learning in public universities resumes Monday after one of the longest strikes in history. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • PhD students have also been unable to access their supervisors for their projects.

  • Masters students who joined in 2016 and 2017 are also affected  by the strike as they are unable to complete their studies in the stipulated two-year duration.

  • Normally, the semester ends in April, allowing students in government-sponsored programmes to take a long holiday and self-sponsored learners to continue with the trimester programmes

Learning in public universities resumes Monday after one of the longest strikes in history.

Learners are bracing themselves for a review and adjustment of the academic calendar to recover lost time after close to three months of the lecturers’ strike.

The strike has led to many students overstaying in school, with some having to take five to six years to complete their studies.

Efforts by universities to keep students in school have borne no fruit as lecturers shunned threats to force them to return to class.

The lecturers went on strike three times last year, disrupting the academic calendar and causing universities to adjust to cater for the lost time. This year’s January semester was also disrupted and students have not been able to complete their course work as expected.

LONG HOLIDAY

Normally, the semester ends in April, allowing students in government-sponsored programmes to take a long holiday and self-sponsored learners to continue with the trimester programmes.

However, due to the disruption, universities will be forced to draw new academic calendars to recover the lost time. Among those affected by the strike is a student at the University of Nairobi, who said he was supposed to complete his undergraduate course work, but could not.

Masters students who joined in 2016 and 2017 are also affected  by the strike as they are unable to complete their studies in the stipulated two-year duration.

PhD students have also been unable to access their supervisors for their projects.

As the lecturers go back to classes Monday, the quality of education in public universities is also an issue of concern. Students feel their fate hangs in the balance because their lecturers’ demands have not been met.

CALLED OFF STRIKE

On Thursday, Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) called off their strike, which has lasted for 78 days after holding a consultative meeting with their employer at the Labour ministry, but vowed to continue with their push for the 2017-2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The return-to-work formula came as a surprise as the lecturers will now be going to class without any salary increase. Sources, told the Nation that the lecturers resulted to calling off the strike after threats of job losses.

Several lecturers and university workers had received show cause letters and others forced to sign commitment letters.

REJECTED PAY INCREASE

Even in universities that had their lecturers teaching, students have complained that they are being tasked with a lot of assignments with little teaching.

Uasu Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga said the government’s offer of 1.75 per cent salary increase remains rejected. “Uasu made a significant concession in calling off the strike to save the higher education sector from collapse and for the sake of our dear students,” he said.

Earlier, the union had been quoted saying the strike will not end until they get a salary increase and the government tables a counter offer.