UG students protest changes to Education Degree programme

Mar 05, 2014 News

Several third-year students of the Faculty of Education on Monday evening staged protest action at the University of Guyana (UG)’s Turkeyen Campus in response to a drastic move by the tertiary institution to modify the Bachelors in Education (B.Ed) programme.
The protesting students, who amounted to a few dozen, gathered outside the Faculty to highlight their concerns, some of which were detailed on placards which they displayed.

Some of the students protesting last Monday evening.

The students disclosed that when they first started the programme they were aware that one of the requirements to qualify for the Degree Programme was to undertake the Certificate in Education programme which they all completed two years ago. By the third year of their studies they had applied for the Degree Programme, but were later told that they needed to re-apply, since there were some modifications to the programme. In fact, they disclosed that they were told that the change to the programme was designed to facilitate a new education programme that is now in place.
More than 100 third-year students are currently affected by the modification to the programme. And according to those protesting, they all first learnt of changes during the latter part of last year, after they would have already started the Degree Programme.
And since it was necessary that they re-apply to continue the programme, the students complied, but were not prepared for a hike in the fees and the fact that the programme would be extended to even include compulsory summer courses.
“We went through the normal channel but nobody consulted us and told us about all these changes…The fee we found was raised from $127,000 to $172,750; and this is for the additional courses in the summer, and what we learnt too is that the fee for the summer has to be paid separately,” one protesting student disclosed.
The students claimed that they were informed by the Head of Department that they must attend the University for two semesters and a summer, for each of the remaining two years, so as to accommodate the Associate Degree in Education (ADE) students from the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE).
“This is indeed an unfair action taken, especially against the continuing students, since we have completed three years of CPCE and have to complete four years of University to obtain a degree, whereby for the ADE programme they would have completed two years of CPCE and will also complete two years of University to obtain same.”
But even in light of this revelation, the affected students said that they are desirous of forging ahead with the programme they had already started. However, those who were not financially equipped, on seeking a loan through the Ministry of Finance, found that they were yet only entitled to the standard $127,000. They are therefore required to find the additional sum which, according to them, has to be paid by this month-end.
While some of the students were able to pay their fees in full, there are others who are unable to do so. Moreover, they had decided to seek an audience with the Vice Chancellor, Professor Jacob Opadeyi.
A letter was sent to the Vice Chancellor via email on October 13, 2013, to which a response was forthcoming the following day, with the VC stating that he would be investigating the situation before furnishing the affected students with a feedback. However, the investigation from all indications was not as speedy as the students had anticipated, as according to them, Monday evening the new year started without them getting any feedback.
They were therefore forced to take their concerns to President of the University’s Student Society, Richard Rambarran, who also requested an audience with the VC. Rambarran, who stood in solidarity with the protesting students, confided that he was only made aware of the full extent of the situation on Monday.
“When I looked at this issue I recognised that the degree of urgency attached to it is very high and we needed to look at it immediately.”
Moreover, Rambarran said that he asked for four representatives from among the affected students to accompany him to meet the VC.
It was during a two-hour-long meeting Monday that the students were able to detail their concerns to the VC.
The VC was enlightened, not only to the fact that the modification to the programme could see a number of students repeating programmes, but that a number of students were now in a financial crisis because of the development.
The VC, this publication understands, has called for a detailed list of those who are likely to repeat courses during the summer and also a proposal as it relates to the fees. However, one student informed that “the VC has said that he is not going to change the fees, but what he can do is to just extend the date for it to be paid.”
Another suggestion that was derived at the meeting, according to Rambarran, was for the VC to write to the Ministry of Education requesting intervention on behalf of the students currently unable to pay the fee to have an increase in the loan from the Finance Ministry.
Rambarran, with the support of the affected students, is expected to present the VC with a proposal by today.