The Executive Director (ED) of the Ministry of Higher Education and Innovation, Dr Alfred van Kent said the ministry has realised that face-to-face learning is a no-go area, but to engage all institutions on online platforms. He also said institutions have been involved in e-learning. The ED also emphasised the fact that some students do not have access to technology, the ministry, together with the higher institutions, will need to assess how many students need access to the internet. They, therefore, have involved internet service providers to see how best they can assist students. Van Kent said this during a panel discussion at the COVID-19 Communication Centre today. Speaking during the panel discussion at the COVID-19 Communication Centre, Dr Delvaline Mowes from the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), said the university has launched a survey to assess the situation on the ground and they have structures in place to deliver e-learning. Mowes said they don’t have to start from scratch, they have e-learning in place already but they will need to adjust and roll it out to a bigger community. Dr Maggy Beukes-Amiss, from the University of Namibia (UNAM), said there’s a silver lining to COVID-19 that it presents institutions with the chance to roll out online teaching which is often more effective than face-to-face teaching. “Giving a lecture to an individual online better than teaching 700 students in one hall,” she said. “We have to do things differently.”