Africa-Press – Namibia. • EINO VATILENI and ELIASER NDEYANALE
MORE than 160 students studying towards a bachelor of science in public health (honours) at the University of Namibia (Unam) Oshakati campus are on the threshold of their career, as the university last week allegedly informed them that it is discontinuing the course with immediate effect.
This will see current third and fourth year students being grouped together and graduating next year with a bachelor of science in population studies, a degree they did not study for.
The students, who staged a demonstration last Thursday, said they would be de-registered for the bachelor of science in public health (honours) and registered for the bachelor of science in population studies. Speaking to The Namibian last Thursday, the Unam student representative council (SRC) vice president Etuna Tshilongo, said students were informed orally by the executive dean of the Faculty of Health Science and Veterinary Medicine, Judith Hall, last Tuesday that their course has been terminated and replaced with the bachelor of science in population studies, which is evaluated at level 7 on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).
Tshilongo said the bachelor of science in public health (honours) is a NQF level 8 qualification.
She said Hall and her team promised to come back after two days to orient them.
“All we are saying is let us graduate first and phase it out when everyone doing this course graduates,” she said. She said she does not know if the bachelor of science in population studies is accredited or not.
“I did not sleep last night because I was just trying to comprehend this thing. People are stressed,” she added. Tshilongo said the decision by the university to discontinue the programme was not communicated to the student representative council and all university students before.
Student Augustus Noah, accused the university of not doing extensive research before it introduced the bachelor of science in public health.
According to the student representative for academic affairs Elifas Shilongo, the students will not be able to pay for their studies for the honours in population studies because the Namibia Student Financial Assistance Fund will not pay for their studies, as it only allows students to study for four years.
In a petition to the Unam management, students said the change has created uncertainty for all students, especially the final year students of the proposed bachelor of science in population studies, in terms of job prospects and further studies.
Loan holders and beneficiaries of bursaries’ might have their contracts terminated as the proposed course and its duration are not in their contracts.
The students indicated in their petition that their emotional and mental well-being has been compromised because of this news.
The public health degree is allegedly not registered with the Health Professions Council of Namibia.
Unam spokesperson John Haufiku said he is aware of the situation, and a meeting was scheduled to discuss the issue by the university management.
“Management is in touch with the students and the parents to discuss the issue with the students affected,” Haufiku said. Speaking to The Namibian, a parent, who said she has two children studying at Oshakati campus, said she was disturbed by the decision. She added that the university did not communicate to students and parents in writing and did not counsel the students before they gave them the news. Namibia National Students Association acting chairperson at the Oshakati campus Benigina Amadhila said they are standing in solidarity with the students.
“There was no proper consultations done with the students,” Amadhila said. “The university must phase out the course properly. Let the students finish it and then cancel the course.”
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