“No result, no exams…” that was the chant that filled the air in Akwa Ibom State College of Arts and Sciences campus, Ikono, on the 18th of July when the students mobilized in their thousands to resist the anti-students attempts of the school management.
The second semester examination was scheduled to commence on this particular date, by the school management. There were a lot of atrocities and inappropriateness as regards the commencement date announced by the management which shows that the school management have no regard for the students well-being and further shows that the system of the bosses which the school management operates cares less about the education of the children and wards of poor working people.
One of the students’ union leaders in her address stated that the examination time table was released 3 days to the commencement of examination, which is very inappropriate because this kind of arrangement leaves the students no time to prepare adequately for the examination and that on the released date many departments were yet to conclude the semester course outlines and few who had completed theirs did it in a fire brigade manner.
This is shameful and unacceptable on the part of the school management because they want the students to bear and pay for their nonchalant attitude and responsibility failure. This is the time for youth across the globe to organise alongside with the working class, because we can no longer pay for the failures of the system.
Again the school management is yet to release the first semester results which clearly shows the irresponsibility on the part of the college administrators. To worsen a bad matter, the school management released a statement that the students who are yet to pay their school fees, should pay otherwise they would be disallowed from participating in the semester examination.
Socialist Worker spoke with one of the college students, who confirmed that a large percentage of students are yet to pay their school fees, reason being that most parents are not motivated to pay their wards second semester school feed because they have not seen the result of the precious semester that they paid for. Hence it is neither the parents nor the students fault, it is just logically incorrect to make payment the second time when you are yet to receive the results for an earlier semester.
On this basis the Socialist Youth League stand in struggle with the students of Akwa Ibom State College of Arts and Sciences, Ikono (AKWACAS) and demand that:
- The school management should release the first semester results.
- The 2nd semester examination should be postponed, giving the students a free week to prepare.
- All the lecture rooms must be lighted and made conducive for reading and other academic activities.
- All students must be allowed to write the second semester examinations.
- Government at all levels should increase funding in education sector and particularly Akwa Ibom State government should build more lecture rooms and appropriate accommodation facilities for the school.
- The college require more staffs , both teaching and non teaching to ensure adequate learning process.
On a final note the Socialist Youth League calls on other students and youth organisations, the workers’ unions and the general public at large to stand in struggle and solidarity with the AKWACAS students, they have showed readiness to resist the anti-students policies. Now all working people must fight alongside with them, for “an injury to one is an injury to all”. More so this is not just an injury to one or the AKWACAS students only but an extension of the attacks on education across the globe. So workers and youth of the world must unit to fight these attacks.
by Lai Browne
