By Prince J Musa in Kenema
Students of the Eastern Polytechnic in Kenema have threatened to embark on protest in response to a leaked document from the Ministry of Tertiary and Higher Education suggesting that the institute might not be upgraded to a university anytime soon.
In a letter sent by the ministry to the Tertiary Education Commission, it warned that institutes and colleges should not be transformed into universities “prematurely”. The letter was part of ongoing consultations over pending decisions on the status of certain institutes and colleges that have requested for the government to upgrade their status to university.
The Student Union of the Eastern Polytechnic have demanded that the minister retract the advice contained in his letter that was addressed to the college’s administration.
“We will demonstrate on the streets of Kenema if the minister fails to retract that letter by Monday,” Students Union President, Juana Saffa, told Politico.
The ministry has since apologized and said in a brief statement on Thursday that they had withdrawn the letter.
“The information was relayed to the Eastern Polytechnic, the Milton Margai College of Science, Technology and Education and the Freetown Teachers College by the TEC without the appropriate context,” it said.
“Consequently, the ministry deems it appropriate to withdraw the said letter with apologies,” the statement signed by the minister, Prof. Aiah Gbakima, added.
Despite the apology, it is not clear whether or when if at all, the ministry will instruct TEC to approve these institutions as colleges or stick with its advice in principle.
On Thursday the Eastern Polytech students gathered on campus, disrupting their own classes to express their anger over the letter. Lecturers had to calm them down whiles they were expressing their frustration.
To quell the student’s anger, the principal of the institute, Professor Mohamed Tailu Lahai, addressed them.
“We are happy to see you the students agitating for your rights for the transformation of eastern polytechnic into a University,” he said.
“We are not only fighting for ourselves now but fighting for prosperity for generations yet unborn, because if Eastern Polytechnic could be transformed into a university, it will benefit the people, future generations and neighboring countries in terms of quality higher education,” Prof. Lahai added.
Polytechnics and other colleges in Sierra Leone have been clamoring for years to get university status.
In Kenema, hopes were raised sometime last year when the Chief Minister assured local stakeholders that efforts were been made by the government to raise the resources for the transformation of the institution into a university.
The threat by these students is an illustration of the level of frustration and anger within the larger Kenema community and even the institute’s administration over how they have been treated.
The Principal of the institute said they were still optimistic to get a university status. Lahai said Head of Departments were working on upgrading the curriculum to a university standard by the 25th of this month for onward submission for approval.
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