• Online protest gathers steam
• No increase in school fees yet – Admin
• Gov promised reduction not increase – SU President
Students of Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete have, in their numbers, taken to popular social media platform, Twitter to register their dissatisfaction and strong opposition to moves to increase their tuition fees or any other charges for that matter by the school administration.
Using the hashtag, #SayNoToKwasuFeeIncrements, the students, who thronged Twitter, raised eyebrows at plans for increment going underground, describing it as ill-timed and inconsiderate.
The Ravens understands that there are strong indications that the school fees or administrative charges may be hiked soon in view of the economic downturn occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic across societies.
This is just as the school administration denied claims making the rounds that the school fees of the institution had already been increased.
The denial was contained in a statement by Mohammed A. Shuaib, KWASU Acting Registrar last week.
It reads, “The Management of the Kwara State University, Malete wishes to inform the general public that there is no iota of truth in the rumours making the round that the Management has increased KWASU Students’ school fees.
“We however wish to state that there is an ongoing robust discussion between Management and the Students union leaders in ways to improve on the financial standing of the university towards the provision of standard teaching and learning regime.
“In line with our desire to entrench a culture of participatory governance in the administration of the university, management has ensured that the conversation has been democratic, peaceful and harmonious. It is important to state that no concrete decision has been reached for now.
“We therefore urge the general public to utterly disregard this fake rumour.”
Reacting to the press release, an undergraduate of the institution who craved anonymity, said it didn’t assure that there would be no increment in the future.
“That statement only dismissed insinuations that the school fees had already been increased. However, if you review it critically, you will understand that there is no assurance that increments would not be made to either the school fees or administrative charges. What is obvious now is that the management is moving to increase some charges to improve the financial standing of the institution,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Student Union President, KWASU, Hanafy Kozeem has also made the position of the union known in a chat with The Ravens, noting that the governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq promised reduction in school fees and not increment.
According to Kozeem, there is no justification for increasing the school fees or any charges in the face of economic reversals that have affected the students and their sponsors.
“As the Students’ Union President, I also #SayNoToKwasuSchoolFeeIncrements. I understand the fact that the school is struggling financially but that doesn’t justify that there should be increments of our school fees.
“The state government can bail the school out of this financial captivity by starting to give the school the much-needed subventions, especially putting into consideration the fact that the economic situation of the country is disastrous.
“Many students defer every year because average parents cannot afford the huge amount of money we’re paying as school fees. We’re looking towards review (and possibly reduction) of our school fees as promised by the governor of the state during his campaign. How then could there be increments and not reduction?” he queried.
The student leader, however, urged the students to be calm as the union would always defend their interests, while also confirming that increments have not been effected yet.
Some reactions from students
The Ravens also monitored some of the tweets of the students online revealing their displeasure at school fees increment.
Some of them are reproduced here:
I see no reason why an additional fee will be added to the already fixed fee of which parent find it hard to afford. Lots of student differ cos of departmental fee of 20,000. #saynotokwasuschooltuitionincrement#SayNoToKwasuSchoolFeeIncrements#helpkwasustudent pic.twitter.com/KcmRsc8sfL
— Clement (@_iamclement_) September 5, 2020
It's hard enough paying the previous fee
Students defer yearly just because of little fees like departmental fee.
Please increment or additional fees is the least thing we can afford during this pandemic#SayNoToKwasuSchoolFeeIncrements#SayNoToNewFee
— jimoh lawal Olafimihan (@CyberPhym707) September 5, 2020
#SayNoToKwasuSchoolFeeIncrements#SayNoToKwasuSchoolFeeIncrements
The management should be thinking of helping the KWASU students that have been affected by the pandemic, and not thinking of how to increase the fee.
We want the Kwara state government house see to this. pic.twitter.com/jRCY0UtwIN— Oyinloye Damilare (@dreypraise) September 5, 2020