Who is a private sponsored student at Makerere University?
By John Blanshe Musinguzi
On 18th
November, 2013, a communique was pinned on the Makerere University Main Library
Notice Board near the entrance. It read, this is to inform you that the office
of Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration) …. ‘Students who have
not paid fees should not be allowed to enter the Library.’ Consequently, all
students should show proof of full registration before they are allowed to
enter the Library. Thank you.
All students who read
this notice were nodding their heads in disagreement. Probably, something was
wrong. As usual some began suggesting ‘weee… weee.., weee… weee…’ to be organized
as soon as possible as a mean of expressing their anger, others were suggesting
‘we goooo…, we goooo....’ these terms are used by students while striking to
gain morale and call other students to join them.
The following day,
another communique was pinned on the same Notice Board. It read, this is to inform those ‘Students
who have not yet paid fees’ that, following an understanding by Office of
Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration), Guild Academic Affairs Minister
and the University Librarian, your given two weeks from now (19th November,
2013- 2nd December, 2013 with in which to complete fees payment.
From 3rd December, 2013, if you fail to do so, you will not be
allowed to enter the Library. Thank you.
Last semester, University Administration
implemented 60% tuition policy. It requires privately students to pay 60% of
tuition and full functional fees at the beginning of the semester and 100% by
the end of 6th week. The policy was introduced in 2006/2007 academic
year but was never implemented until second semester of 2012/2013 academic
year. Students who have not paid full tuition cannot also register online.
On 16th May
this year, University Council resolved that effective from academic year
2013/2014, all privately sponsored first year students should pay 60% tuition
and all the functional fees before receiving their admission letter.
These and many more
hostile polices are what Makerere privately sponsored student face.
When Makerere
University opened door to private sponsored students in 1993, I hope,
administrators knew that not all private students come from well to do
families. Some students are son and daughters of Ministers, Members Parliament,
Rich Business Men and Women as well other rich classes. Other students are from
poor families, in these families, parents toil hard to raise tuition. Most parents
try in vain to pay this tuition in parts, so their sons and daughters may soon
forget smelling the best and largest Library in East and Central Africa.
Denying private
sponsored students access to the main library if implemented will be the
greatest form of discrimination that these students face. This decision was
unprecedented, we never heard about the University Council discussing it. It
just came from nowhere to somewhere. These students realistically are the one
who use library to read hard as they struggle to for a better future. Most of
these students are always hungry, dejected, devastated, disappointed but not
yet defeated. If denied access, their dreams will be defeated.
December 2rd, 2013 when
this new policy will come into force is the time when everyone sits down-in the
library to prepare for end of semester exams. Usually, when examination
timetable is out, long queues of students emerge at the main library entrance
as they try to rush into the library. The library is always full to its
capacity. Private students are always part of them.
In my argument, with
these policies, the University is trying to close the door it opened for
privately sponsored students two years ago.
First they have started denying them admission letters before paying. In
such a situation a student- son or daughter of a peasant who want to join
Makerere will not get chance his or her can’t afford to pay 60% and full
functional fees at the beginning of the semester. In the next few years
students will be required to pay all university dues before stepping on the
campus soil
This what the
University should do instead of financially alienating these students. Write a
big poster and plant it at the main gate. It should read ‘poor students are not
welcome. Thank you.’ The university should also advertise with newspapers and
radio stations across the country that poor students are not welcome. So these
students will forget dreaming about joining Makerere University.
We build for the
future, which future are you building for if you don’t build the future of the
poor young nationals- thirsty and hungry for a better education. The poor make
up the largest population of this nation.
John Blanshe Musinguzi Is a
Journalism and Communication Student at Makerere University
Johnblanshe77m@gmail.com
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