By Frederick Philander
WINDHOEK
The Student Representative Council of the Polytechnic of Namibia on Friday held a mass meeting on the campus as a consequence to the alleged refusal of the institute’s management to resolve legitimate student examination fee grievances.
However, the chairperson of the Polytechnic board, Mike Hill, has reacted to student claims that the management has refused an audience with the SRC.
In a press statement the SRC president, Hileni Shikwambi, claimed the management demanded students clear their accounts before writing examinations.
“We have approached management about this decision and they refused to see us. Our concern is that a number of students are not writing their examinations and some are quitting because of this decision,” Shikwambi said.
She further claimed that if students leave because of owing N$500 or less, this would hinder the realization of Vision 2030 with future leaders leaving the institution.
“Procedures were followed to resolve student issues that affect them, but management does not seem to show any concern,” she said in the statement after submitting a memorandum to the authorities.
Friday’s meeting was attended by students and representative of the National Youth Council, NANSO and the Ministry of Education.
“Thank you for your memorandum dated 5th June 2007 raising concerns with the administration of outstanding student accounts. I write on behalf of the Council, having advised all Council members of your concerns and having consulted them on the content of this response,” said chairperson Mike Hill in a letter made public on Thursday.
“In opening, I must explain that management does not have delegated authority to take an out-of-policy decision on student accounts and you would therefore be in error to conclude that the Polytechnic management are in any way responsible for the current situation. The Council of the Polytechnic are responsible for making policies and ensuring that they are followed by the management – this is the essence of good governance.
“It is also a matter of record that we had a full Council meeting on Friday 27th April 2007 and that the SRC has a seat on the Council. The record shows that you were not present at this meeting and did not raise the issue of student debtors, either as a prior agenda item or as an urgent matter for discussion.
The SRC presence on the Council is important in ensuring that issues such as this are handled timeously in a smooth, efficient and non-confrontational manner,” he said.
Hill further explained: “As you are aware, both from your seat on the Council and from the various public statements made by the Rector and me, the government subsidy to the Polytechnic has not been increased for the past five years while our student numbers have risen by 75% over the same period and the costs of running the institution have risen, both through growth to serve the additional student numbers and inflation. Through following a policy of not spending money that we do not have we have managed, through very prudent financial controls, to continue developing the Polytechnic to the point where we provide our students with high-quality internationally recognised qualifications,” he said of the institute’s contribution to national development.
According to him, the extreme financial constraints under which the management of the Polytechnic are required to operate were again discussed at the April Council meeting – ” if the current situation continues we may be forced to reduce student intake and the range of courses offered in coming years”.
He continued: “This situation is not of the Council’s choosing – our funding comes from Parliament which has to decide on the allocation of limited funds to national development priorities. Our role as members of the Council is to ensure the most efficient and productive allocation of funds to the achievement of our objectives.”
“Despite the student body being well informed of our funding constraints and our sources of income, I am not aware of any support given by the SRC to the Council and management in its representations to government for an increase in the government subsidy – this is surely an issue on which we have absolute common ground?
“I now turn to the substantive issue of outstanding accounts. As of 1 June 2007, a total of N$18 million was still owed to the Polytechnic by students – this compares with N$13,9 million at the same time last year – a 29% increase. This increase in money owing to the Polytechnic is a unilateral decision taken by some students not to honour their obligations to pay the fees on which the Polytechnic relies in order to be able to serve all its students,” Hill charged.
In past years management did allow students owing less than N$500 to write the June examinations and those owing less than N$250 to write the year-end examinations with results being withheld until the debt was settled in full.
Hill also made it clear that this facility was not introduced as a right for all students – it was to help tide over the most disadvantaged.
“In fact, many students never paid their fees – the non-payment of fees by students who decide not to return to their studies for whatever reason has resulted in the Council, as you well know, having to write off bad debts of millions – during the past three years N$3,2 million owed by past students has been written off as unrecoverable. I am sure you appreciate the damage such losses cause to the Polytechnic community as a whole,” he said.
According to the chairman, every student receives a monthly statement of account, which includes a specific notice regarding the payment of fees by 30th April 2007.
“It is misleading to imply that students have not been informed of the payment rules.
“In summary, it is the Council’s stated policy that students are required to pay for services rendered by the Polytechnic. The terms on which students were registered for this year are clear in the Prospectus, at time of registration and in monthly accounts. There do not appear to be any grounds for this issue to be dealt with as a matter of urgency as implied,” Hill concluded.
The next Council meeting is scheduled for Friday 13 July 2007.