…calls for review
The University of Guyana (UG) Council has decided to hike student tuition fees at Guyana’s premier public education facility, but the Education Minister has signalled his opposition to the move.
In a recent interview with this publication, Education Minister Dr Rupert Roopnaraine declared that he is not in favour of the hike. He indicated that there is need for the decision to be reviewed, and has promised that he would speak with the MoE’s representatives on the UG Council.
“Anything that makes life more difficult for children I’m not in favour of. So the fees’ hike, I will urge that they review it. People have come to see me, parents and teachers. It needs serious review. The Ministry of Education does not run UG. It is run by the Council, and from the Ministry, we have two people on the Council,” Dr Roopnaraine has said.
“UG has a special place in my heart, and I have to look and see what can be done. I will talk to (them), because life is hard, and the truth of the matter is people are not earning enough and education, of all things, is something we have to nurture,” Dr Roopnaraine declared.
Declaring himself adamantly opposed to anything which puts an impediment in the way of working people, he warned that if the council should insist that increasing fees is the only way to address expenses, there is nothing else he would be able to do.
“So it is something I will ask again (of) my people who are representing me on the Council. The issue has been raised with me, and I think it is something we should look at. If the Council says we have looked at everything and there are expenses and so on and there is very little we can do, I have to abide with what UG Council says. The Ministry doesn’t run it.”
The University of Guyana (UG) Council has approved a 15 per cent increase in tuition fees. At a March 30 extraordinary meeting of the Council chaired by Chancellor Eon Nigel Harris, this decision was taken. It is the first step in the University’s move to raise fees by an overall 35 per cent over a three-year period. According to UG, the Council’s decision will be applied to tuition fees for all programmes and for both continuing students and new students for the 2017-2018 academic year.
However, the Council has said input from the Student Society was considered, leading to an incremental rollout wherein continuing students will now pay an increase of 15 per cent (about G$2500 a month), and new students will be required to pay 18 per cent (about G$3000 a month).
This decision was not preceded by any consultations. It came to light only a few days before the meeting, when UG Vice Chancellor Dr Ivelaw Griffith made the revelation during a town hall-style session with students.
The very day of the extraordinary meeting, there were student-organised protests on campus against the decision held outside of the Education Lecture Theatre. Many have been dissatisfied at the sudden manner in which the increases were proposed and voted upon. Expressing outrage at the proposed increases, the students are adamant that no one is doing them a favour by enhancing facilities on the Turkeyen campus, since they (students) are mandated to pay separate facilities fees.
