File photo of some students at the University of Education, Winneba
The world is still not at ease due to the ranging global pandemic which has turned to be an albatross around the neck of many countries and Ghana is not an exception. With over 65,000 infections, some 55,000 recoveries and 3000 active cases, it's clear that the pandemic will not leave us now.
The interruption brought about by the outbreak in our daily social, economic and political life has resulted in many discomforts among families, the society, individuals and the government as a whole.
One of the areas that the Corona virus has hit hard is the educational sector and the universities have experienced huge academic setbacks in their academic calendar. Though schools have reopened and they are trying to recover from the shocks, it's clear that we are yet to achieve what's normal. In the midst of this academic turbulence, many students are concerned and worried about their future in the world of academics. Notwithstanding, there are pockets of complaints also among graduate students who are concerned greatly about their fees for the academic year after returning from the long recess.
It will interest you to know that, most of the graduate students are adults and individuals who live on their own and might have experienced hardship during the lockdown period. It's also important to note that abnormal times demand some clemency on the part of the University Management.
There is a general lamentation among graduate students of UEW which has come at the backdrop of the University Management insisting on full payment of fees before registration. This has generated uneasiness and displeasure among students as it is the norm in many universities to accept part payments. We do not know what has occasioned the decision of management to insist on full payment of fees without slight consideration of the plights of desperate students who might have experienced economic setbacks in this period of pandemic outbreak.
It is our hope that the University will quickly reconsider the decision and with all alacrity desist from the harsh decision and grant amnesty to the graduate students to at least do part payment of fees to ease the pressure that had engulfed them in the midst of many discomforts. It is important for management to understand that students make up the discourse community and we do not want to take the path of war to register our displeasure to bring the name of the University into disrepute.
We are willing to accept any flexible payment terms the authority will bring on board as they listen to the plea of many graduate students who for one reason or the other cannot pay the full amount of fees before registration.