Monrovia – Students of the University of Liberia are still murmuring despite the free tuition pronouncement by President George Weah, who recently announced tuition weaver for all public universities and colleges in the country.
Report by Edwin G. Genoway, Jr (231886458910) [email protected]
Before the President’s pronouncement, there was controversy between students of the University of Liberia and the administration over the increment of tuition.
Students on numerous occasions stormed the campuses of the University of Liberia and at some point extended their protest to major streets thus preventing commuters from going about their normal businesses all in the name of advocating for extension of registration or the reduction of school fees.
President Weah’s pronouncement apparently ease the continue tension on campus.
Despite the President’s decision to declare a tuition free school, students are still making additional demands. Some students told FrontPageAfrica although they welcome the free tuition; there many other challenges students are faced with.
“There are still many things that need to be done silence the noise on campus, and if these things are done we will continue to engage the authority untill they are settled,” student Alvine Kennedy of Liberia Collage noted.
Student Melvin Tarpeh of the Political Science department added that he no longer understands the organization at the UL since the president’s pronouncement.
“We don’t get it, is it because the president said tuition free on campus so it should lead to teachers staying away from classes, is it because of that students are also reluctant to attend classes, and one thing I observed and hasn’t really happened here before is for administration to put more than one section in one classroom at the same time, for example our History is by 11am while students from the communication, and English sections all in that same class at 11Am as well,” he explained.
Before the pronouncement of the free tuition, many students including student-based organizations leading scholarship of financial aide scheme were managed several thousands of dollars allotted for scholarships.
At the same time, several politicians including lawmakers also had their constituents benefiting through scholarship.
There are now increasing fears that some of these individuals might lose the influence they once enjoyed.
Some students alleged that the President only declared tuition free to discourage students politics since the #BringBackOurMoney originated from the campus.
The speaker of the Students Legislative Assembly (SLA) of the University of Liberia Students Union (ULSU), Edward Norman claimed that the “free tuition” policy by the government has dropped the prestige of student politics on campus.
“We are the government for students on campus and one of the only ways we could get student listen to us was through the scholarships, be from the counties, from religious groups, political groups and many other scholarships we had have stopped,” said Norman.
Edward also alleges that President Weah is determined to end students’ politics on campus.
” If you heard the president after he announced the tuition free he said there will now be no noise on campus, we believe as politician like the president, it is a clever attempt to abolish students politic on campus,” he said.
“The intent is good by the President but we are worried that many students might misused the opportunity by not studying to score the grades needed since it is no longer their money.”
The challenge of transportation remains a major issue among students as students are seen struggling to board the very few buses on Fendell Campus.
Students are calling on the President to intervene in the transportation issue on campus
“We struggle to get to school, transports fair has gone up and the school has just few bosses buses to serve the thousand of students from Fendell to Red Light,” complains Samuel Adams.
