IPS students angry

…Over high tuition fees

STORY: ACHNAKE FATAW, PIJ INTERN

Students of the Institute of Professional Studies (IPS) have called on government to intervene in the increment of tuition fees by the school authorities which is making life unbearable for them.

According to the students, there has been a recent 10% increment of their school fees which they believe would further deepen their economic hardships.

The students made this known at a press conference held at the premises of the school on Tuesday, 20th July, 2010.

Addressing journalists at the press conference, the President of the Students Representative Council (SRC), Hayford Baah Tawiah, explained that the institute has received very little financial support from government which makes it impossible for management of the institute to charge affordable fees.

Mr Baah Tawiah lamented that the few government assisted projects presently underway in the school were moving at a very slow pace.

“I know two of such projects that began as far back as 5 years ago and are still yet to be completed. These are the administration block and the lecturers office complex.

…Apart from these, the building of basic infrastructure facilities like libraries, washrooms, lecture halls and even halls of residence have all been borne by students through the payment of sky rocketing fees. Students are left at the mercy of high prices of hostel fees charged by hostel owners and operators who always find ways to milk students,” he passionately expressed.

He continued that the lack of a school bus to transport students in and out of the school accompanied by the lack of residential facilities on campus were also major problems students faced and often times made students to get to campus late for lectures.

The SRC president of IPS revealed that a large number of students were unable to graduate due to exorbitant fees charged by the school authorities and which keeps increasing semester after semester.

“Close to 50% of the total population have not paid their last semester fees. It even got to a point where the school authorities had to step in to encourage students who owed fees to attend lectures although some had to drop out. Education is the responsibility of every Ghanaian and it is not a privilege. The famous American politician, the legendary, Martin Luther King Jnr., once said ‘our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.’ In line with this philosophy, we the students shall not keep mute over these expensive fees that are being charged,” he emphasised.

The students, therefore, gave government a one week ultimatum to respond to their grievances.