Theophilous Ochang
Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The students of Torit Health Science Institute staged a peaceful protest on Monday, November 28 over high tuition fee.
The protesting learners also petitioned the Eastern Equatoria State Ministry of Health, demanding the removal of the school principal.
The strike comes after the administration doubled the tuition fee, from SSP 16,000 to SSP 30,000 for students under government scholarships.
Private students’ fees, on the other hand, have been raised from SSP 20,000 to SSP 50,000 per term.
One of the students who talked to City Review anonymously said, “our institution has become a military place because everything is done by force.”
The source claimed that the administration increased the tuition fee without consulting with the students.
“We demand the principal’s removal because this is the third strike,” he said, as they issued an ultimatum that they would only return to school if he was replaced.
Responding to the backlash, the principal, Isaac Nimeri John, said he was not the only one who authorised the revision of the fee but that the ministry was involved.
He said the students were also duly informed through a circular, which they never objected to at the beginning.
“One of the major things here is also the tuition fee because it was endorsed by the relevant authorities. It’s not the principal endorsing the tuition fee and even the circular was given to them,” he said.
“The tuition fee is very little compared to [what] some health institutions across the country [charge],” Isaac added.
Ochan Denis, the institute’s academic registrar, described the strike as unfortunate, adding that it was an inappropriate way of addressing the problem.
“I believe it will affect the entire academic year because they were about to sit for their end-of-module examination,” he said.
“[The] tutors were also planning to complete the unit within the course,” Ochan stated.
According to him, the students should have given the administration time to address the matter.
“When the issue was raised by the students’ representative to the government, they should have waited instead of going on strike,” he said.
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