By David Ochan/Obale Emmanuel-Torit.
Students at Torit Health Science Institute in Torit of Eastern Equatoria State have on Monday staged a peaceful demonstration over an increase of tuition fee by administration of the institute.
Radio Emmanuel 89 FM learnt that the newly released fee structure now requires government sponsored students to pay 30,000 South Sudanese pounds while private students 50,000 South Sudanese pounds exclusive of other school requirements charges per semester.
During the demonstration, students displayed posters with writings demanding for the relieve of the principal of the institute Mr. Nimeri Isaac as they allege the new fee structure has been effected without prior consultation with students and parents.
While the Student Guild President Ojok Tony Best states to the officials at ministry of health that the student did not destroy anything or threaten anybody but they left the school peacefully demanding for their rights.
Tony advises student representatives who are colleagues to speak out about what has happened and avoid adding unnecessary extra words.
Clip 2 Demonstration.
“We left the school in peace and we came here as the student leaders, I was in the office holding some meeting together with the Academic Registrar and the Acting principal that’s when the students call me out and said we are going to match to the Ministry as the leaders, I must be part of them, so that is why we are here and now as student we are going to present reasons as to why we came here and I want the students to present this and not saying something which has not happen or other things that are not relevant. Let us present our challenges and grievances accordingly and I want us also to understand that we are going to addressed the minster, we are not going to talk to any other persons or our tutor, let me say even our student leaders, we are going to addressed the minister and therefore we should know how and who we are talking to.”
Meanwhile Lodae Pasquale, State minister of health in Eastern Equatoria acknowledges the student for their petition as through their leaders and inform of posters and banners.
Lodae appeals to the student to use the right channel of communications through their leaders and representatives, and promises to delay the new fee structure until 2023 then the parent will receive the new circular to avoid confusion.
“Today you have presented your petition as students and that petition is genuinely pronouns by your team leader and the student representative and all of you have spoken in various ways including the banners and the posters you have We do not disagree with your moved the only thing we felt like you should have done was to send that one representative would have been done in one moment but because you came we will do and we will tell you one issue to be done the fees structure that was raise was the communication which should have gone to your parent not to the student and we apologies at the level of the ministry Your parent should have received the information in the beginning of the year, we are going to delay it until 2023.”
The speakers made these remarks during the student peaceful demonstration on Monday in Torit, Eastern Equatoria State.