News / Education
Byo Poly students up in arms with college admin
02 Nov 2014 at 07:58hrs | Views
BULAWAYO Polytechnic students are up in arms with the college administration after the latter reportedly directed students to vacate their halls of residence and make way for renovations ahead of the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Youth Games to be held in the city at the end of the year.
The African Union Sports Council Region 5 Youth Games will run from 4 to 14 December this year and Bulawayo Polytechnic has been identified as one of the facilities that will accommodate some of the delegates coming for the games.
Students who stay in the hostels that have been earmarked for renovations told Sunday News last week that they had been instructed to vacate and share accommodation with other students in the remaining hostels that are not being renovated. According to the students who spoke on condition of anonymity, five halls of residence, HD 5, HD 7, HD 9 and HD 10 and HD 11, each with a capacity to accommodate 36 students, were identified for the renovations.
The students said they were not prepared to comply with the directive and would stage a protest if the college administration insists on evicting them.
They argue that the move would disturb their preparations for end of year examinations. If the intended move to have students share accommodation sails through, some students would complete the term staying four in each room, when ideally they should be staying in pairs. "It's just not making sense that they ask grown up people like us to share accommodation, four in each room. We won't accept it and we have made it clear to them (college administration) that they should reverse their proposal and wait until we are done with our examinations.
If they fail to listen to our side, the only way left would be to mobilise each other and stage a demonstration. We understand and appreciate that the dates for games are close but we feel our plight also has to be considered," said a student who requested anonymity.
Added another student: "Right now we are trying to focus on our examinations and the movements will distract us. This just shows lack of planning on the part of the administration. They should know that the core business of the college is education and not allow any other activity to disrupt the learning process."
The students also expressed health concerns over the idea of sharing accommodation, saying the crowded set up that the administration was proposing would create a conducive environment for disease outbreaks.
Contacted for comment, Bulawayo polytechnic principal Mr Gilbert Mabasa, would not discuss the matter over the phone and asked to be furnished with written questions.
Mr Mabasa had, however, not responded to the questions at the time of going to print, despite having acknowledged receiving the questions and promising to respond.
Efforts to follow up with him were futile as his mobile phone was not reachable.
The African Union Sports Council Region 5 Youth Games will run from 4 to 14 December this year and Bulawayo Polytechnic has been identified as one of the facilities that will accommodate some of the delegates coming for the games.
Students who stay in the hostels that have been earmarked for renovations told Sunday News last week that they had been instructed to vacate and share accommodation with other students in the remaining hostels that are not being renovated. According to the students who spoke on condition of anonymity, five halls of residence, HD 5, HD 7, HD 9 and HD 10 and HD 11, each with a capacity to accommodate 36 students, were identified for the renovations.
The students said they were not prepared to comply with the directive and would stage a protest if the college administration insists on evicting them.
They argue that the move would disturb their preparations for end of year examinations. If the intended move to have students share accommodation sails through, some students would complete the term staying four in each room, when ideally they should be staying in pairs. "It's just not making sense that they ask grown up people like us to share accommodation, four in each room. We won't accept it and we have made it clear to them (college administration) that they should reverse their proposal and wait until we are done with our examinations.
If they fail to listen to our side, the only way left would be to mobilise each other and stage a demonstration. We understand and appreciate that the dates for games are close but we feel our plight also has to be considered," said a student who requested anonymity.
Added another student: "Right now we are trying to focus on our examinations and the movements will distract us. This just shows lack of planning on the part of the administration. They should know that the core business of the college is education and not allow any other activity to disrupt the learning process."
The students also expressed health concerns over the idea of sharing accommodation, saying the crowded set up that the administration was proposing would create a conducive environment for disease outbreaks.
Contacted for comment, Bulawayo polytechnic principal Mr Gilbert Mabasa, would not discuss the matter over the phone and asked to be furnished with written questions.
Mr Mabasa had, however, not responded to the questions at the time of going to print, despite having acknowledged receiving the questions and promising to respond.
Efforts to follow up with him were futile as his mobile phone was not reachable.
Source - Sunday News
