The extended strike by the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has been cited as one of the causes for nearly 6,000 students’ inability to pay their academic fees, according to the KNUST Students’ Parliament House.
The University’s administration notified on Wednesday, April 20 that students had to defer their courses due to a delay in fee payment, in compliance with the Student Credit and Debt Management Policy.
The KNUST Students’ Parliament House, while praising KNUST’s leadership for following the Policy to the letter, calls the decision “harsh” and “inconsiderate.”
According to a press statement released on Wednesday, April 20, the timing was particularly unsuitable because many students just learned about the Policy a few days before its implementation.
“Furthermore, the University Relations Office and various forms of student communication did a poor job of informing students about the policy’s requirements,” it said in the press release.
“Except for an impromptu flier with a little portion of the policy captured on it, no extensive measures were taken to address Students on this issue.”
It accused the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) of complicity.
The KNUST Students’ Parliament House also pointed to the January UTAG strike as a contributing factor to the current situation.
“We can’t address this problem without taking into account the disruptions to the academic schedule caused by the UTAG strike, which has caused students to stay and spend longer than they intended before returning to campus.
“We must keep in mind that some students are self-parenting and may be obliged to spend in to their tuition fees as a result of the extended academic calendar.”
The House urged the university’s administration, notably “listening mother” Vice Chancellor Professor Rita Akosua Dickson, to “consider using this academic year to educate students on the new policy so it can take full effect the next academic year.”
“The Management we know have played a number of motherly when it comes to issues of students welfare. At a time like this, all we seek for is an extension of the time to next academic year. This they have done before, and we know as listening leaders as they have always be, they will consider this too. It is our hope that swift action be taken to reverse this action within the shortest possible time to give students the concentration and all the attention they need to sit for the end of semester examination.”
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SOURCE: 3NEWS
