Hundreds of Poly students likely to miss November exams

HUNDREDS of Bulawayo Polytechnic students are likely to miss their November Higher Education Examinations Council (Hexco) examinations, as the institution is insisting on full payment of fees before registration.

The Hexco deadline is today and scores of students from Bulawayo Polytechnic had by yesterday afternoon not yet registered while some were in winding queues at the institution.

According to the students, the college has reportedly departed from the agreed arrangement that they should be allowed to register despite owing and the institution would withhold results as a debt recovery method.

When a Chronicle news crew visited the college yesterday, there was congestion at the administration block as scores of students were queuing in a last minute bid to beat the deadline.

"We are under a lot of pressure as we have only tomorrow left before deadline for examination registration. The college is refusing to accept monies for examination registration because they want us to first clear outstanding fees," said a student.

"I am doing my final year and if I fail to register for examinations, it means I will not complete my diploma meaning that I have to wait for another year."

He said he was expected to pay $600 he incurred while on attachment and the examination fee of $120.

Another student in her second year said there was no way she could raise $300 in two days.

"They should at least understand our plight and come up with a flexible payment plan that would enable us to register and sort out the arrears at a later date," said the student.

She said the institution had not notified them of the changes in the payment plan that was being followed every year.

"We don't know why they chose to do things differently this time around. We are very disappointed because this might have a negative impact on our studies," said the student.

Another student at the School of Hotel and Tourism (Schoto) said Bulawayo Polytechnic was inconsiderate, as they were not paying attention to challenges students were facing in raising the school fees.

"Our parents are struggling to raise the money to clear our arrears so they should at least understand out plight," said the student.

Students under cadetship scheme were not spared.

"They are forcing us to clear outstanding balances which the Government should pay," said a student on cadetship.

She said the stance adopted by the college was defeating the whole purpose of the cadetship scheme.

"The idea behind the scheme is to help students avoid situations whereby they fail to sit for the examinations due to failure to raise fees. This is unacceptable, the institution should put their house in order and let us register before the deadline," said the student.

She said there was a need for responsible authorities to intervene and rescue the situation.

Contacted for comment the principal Dr Temba Petros Ndlovu was said to be in Harare, but officials in his office said he was expected to give them direction on what action to take.

"He is still in Harare and he is aware of the situation and he will advise us accordingly," said one official at his office.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Dr Stephen Mbizvo, said such situations should be dealt with at institution level.