Soroti nursing school students strike over tuition fee increment
Soroti School of Comprehensive of Nursing students gather at the administration block patiently waiting for the principal Mr Francis Etomet who locked himself in office to avoid giving them an explanation on tuition increment. Photo by George Muron
What you need to know:
The school administration was accused of setting exorbitant charges in circulars for programs that weren't offered
A section of students at Soroti School of Comprehensive Nursing in Soroti City have gone on strike over the new tuition fee structure.
The rowdy students who had just finished their end-of-semester examinations on Wednesday morning stormed and crowded the school administration block demanding explanations as to why there was an increase in tuition without any notice.
Most affected are privately sponsored students who are pursuing a Diploma in Nursing and Midwifery.
One of the students who spoke on condition of anonymity said, "It's about tuition. Some students are paying a lot of money while others are paying little."
The school administration was accused of setting exorbitant charges in circulars for programs that weren't offered.
Mr Edmund Ochom, the guild president said some students are not comfortable with the new rates.
"There is no fixed tuition structure here. Rates depend on the value of requirements and demand from category to category, semester to semester", Mr Ochom said.
Some government-sponsored students, for instance, pay between Shs900,000 and Shs960,000, while privately sponsored students pay between Shs2.4m and Shs2.6m. These fees are currently being protested after Shs200,000 was added for 'special lectures'.
“There are also varying rates of internet fees with some students paying Shs10,000 and others Shs15,000 per semester.” He added
Mr Ochom called upon the school administration to always involve the students’ leadership in meetings organized to review tuition structures.
A student who spoke on condition of anonymity due to fear of expulsion said the administration is double charging them fees that can be categorized as either meals or welfare but is charging different fees for each item, with meals costing Shs 400,000, welfare Shs 40,000, and utility bills costing Shs 150,000.
While at the school, the officer manning security at the gate restrained journalists from accessing the office of the principal, Mr Francis Etomet.
Mr Etomet who locked himself inside his office in an attempt to dodge protestors when contacted for a comment on the telephone said they did not want journalists since “this is an internal matter”.
“We don’t want journalists, these are internal administrative issues we can settle,” he said.
He added that issues with tuition will be handled by parents or guardians of students, not the media.
