The Coalition of University Students has welcomed with great relief, the call on government by the former President, John Dramani Mahama to negotiate with the Telcos to reduce cost of airtime and internet data for students and the larger Ghanaian population.
According to the Coalition, the outbreak of the coronavirus had compelled students to undertake lectures online while at home. This it said had greatly increased the hours they spent on the internet, which comes with high cost.
This was contained in a statement issued in Accra and signed by eight executive members of the Coalition led by the Convenor, Master Ebenezer Assan of Cape Coast Technical University.
"As suggested by former Preident Mahama, we encourage government to take immediate steps and arrange with the Telcos for a reduction in their tariffs. This will allow students continuous access to online learning without difficulty".
The Coalition of University Students however commend the government and the African Business Center for Development Education (ABCDE), for introducing the eCampus platform to engage Senior High School students following the closure of schools.
Adding that, "this can only be sustained if students are provided with free internet data".
The statement said the E-learning platforms such as zoom, Google Classroom, etc was very much data consuming, and therefore puts extra financial burden on students who are also dependants on their parents and guardians.
"It is our unshaken hope that government will heed H.E John Dramani Mahama's advocacy for a suppression in call rates and data charges as part of its covid-19 freebies".
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