Bahr el Ghazal varsity students protest over fee increment
May 7, 2018 (WAU) – Bahr el Ghazal university students in South Sudan have started a peaceful strike over increment in tuition fees, as official registration for the new academic commenced Monday.
“We are not happy with what has taken place, the administration of the University of Bahr el Ghazal has decided to increase all the fees by more than 100%, saying it is because of inflation and since the government is not giving them anything,” one angry student said.
A medical student in Upper Nile University, for instance, pays SSP 3,000, while the University of Bahr el Ghazal reportedly requires someone doing the same course to pay between SSP 22,000-37,000.
Students said the new increment had not been introduced this year.
The University of Bahr el Ghazal acting vice chancellor, Abraham Matoc said the increment decision was reached during a board meeting its administration acknowledged the abnormal increases in operational costs and expensive like services of the university.
“The all rate of tuition fees are not sufficient to meet the course of operation or for the procurement of goods and services, the argument was taken into consideration based on the specific calculation on items such as course of diesel, stationeries and answer sheets for the students,” he told Sudan Tribune on Monday.
In August last year, students held a similar protest and closed down the university’s facilities, paralyzing the state-owned institution.
(ST)