When Cats go hunting, the mice have a field day

The long-drawn strike by Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) has left regular students in state universities with lots of time in their hands.

The situation brings to mind the anecdotal mice having a field day in the absence of cats. We can learn a lesson or two from the animals and the lessons are that the absence of the cats is prompted by a gainful pursuit, and the mice use the opportunity to fend for themselves.

The unfortunate situation needs to be resolved with the urgency it deserves so that teaching at the institutions of Higher learning resumes in earnest.

We cannot afford to make the grave situation light even as we pick lessons from the lower animals.

Lecturers need to be paid decently and the academia needs to attract the best brains and it is worthy the cause for current UASU members to fight for decent remuneration in the academia.

Despite that worthy cause, learning can never stop in an institution of learning. A halt to learning in a university simply means there is no reason for its existence.

For the lecturer and university administrators, something must be there for the mice to gnaw and ingest for their survival. Or else, they will start gnawing on anything from your most valued items.

This is, therefore, the time to update course modules and manuscripts for textbook publishing. It is also a time to update research papers for publishing.

In addition, this is the time to further stretch the imagination of students informal engagement of students in research pursuits, case studies and collection of information for term papers when teaching resumes.

To the students, as the cats are fending for themselves, fend for yourselves and have a field day doing it. If you are lucky, engage yourself actively in the knowledge economy.

Volunteer for roles in the community, do feasibility studies for CBOs at a small fee, seek for research assistance whether paid or unpaid, update your time papers.

If you are a final or graduate student, this is the time to prepare your research reports and articles for publishing. With a good internet connection, you can also audit courses from some of the best universities in the world.

In short, it is time for personal development for both the lecturer and the students.