Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, KNUST Students’ Parliament House has argued that one of the reasons which prevented over 6000 students of the university from settling their academic fees was the portracted strike by the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG)
The management of the University on Wednesday, April 20 ordered that the students ought to defer their courses because of delay in payment of fees, in respect to Student Credit and Debt Management Policy.
Whiles praising KNUST’s administration for implementing the Policy as they are , the KNUST Students’ Parliament House noted the decision was “unforgiving” and “inconsiderate “.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday, April 20, it said the timing was even not proper as many students just got to be familiar with the Policy in a short time prior to its implementation.
“Moreover, the University Relations Office and various kinds of students correspondence made a terrible display of informing students about the arrangement’s necessities,” it said in the press statement.
“Aside from an improvised flier with a little part of the arrangement caught on it, no broad measures were taken to address Students on this issue.”
It refered to the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) of being complicit in this.
The KNUST Students’ Parliament House further refered to the UTAG strike in January as one more reason for the present circumstance.
“We can’t resolve this issue without considering the interruptions to the academic timetable brought about by the UTAG strike, which has made students stay and spend longer than they expected prior to getting back to campus.
“We should remember that a few students are self-parenting and might be obliged to spend in to their educational expenses because of the drawn out academic schedule.”
The House spoke to the management of the college, especially “listening mother” Vice Chancellor Professor Rita Akosua Dickson to “think about utilizing this academic year to teach students on the new policy so it can take full effect the following academic year”.
“The Management we know have played various motherly with regards to issues of students welfare. During such a critical time, all we look for is an extension of the opportunity to next academic year. This they have done previously, and we know as listening leaders as they have forever be, they will consider this as well. It is our expectation that quick move be initiated to reverse this action within the shortest possible time to offer students the concentration and all the attention they need to sit for the end of semester examination.”