The Osun State Polytechnic Students Union Government has lamented the school management’s increment of tuition, directing students to suspend payment for now.
OSUN DEFENDER had earlier reported that the institution’s tuition for science-related courses, including that of information and communication technology, has increased by 93 percent.
It was increased from N62,000 to N112,000. The tuition for students in the faculties of management and financial studies grew by 83.3 percent from N53,000 to N97,000.
The students union body, in a statement jointly signed by the union’s public relations officer, Daramola Pelumi and the General Secretary, Oluyeye Kayode, described the tuition structure as an attempt to prevent children of the poor from having access to formal education.
The statement reads, “It saddens our heart to hear and see of the purported increment of school fees at a time everybody in this country is going through a lot to attain survival and make ends meet.
“A time when the economy is dwindling where one cannot even boast of a square meal, a time we come to lecture classes with empty stomachs, a time we even argue and struggle to get hostels in the host community because we have to pay exorbitant fees before we can secure a room.
“This increment of school fees is sardonic and barbaric as the main agent and government of the institution as no human feelings to hear our cry and struggle to learn and be educated so as to be a good ambassador of the institution.”
The union appealed to students to suspend the payment of the school fees, for now, to allow for smooth dialogue with the stakeholders concerned.
The statement continued, “As a Union that is ready to serve and deliver on our electoral promises, we appeal and send a strong warning to our students that payment of school fees by the newly admitted and returning students should be suspended until a strong resolution is jointly reached by all parties.
“In our move to adequately tackle this for the interest of our students, we urge all students to refrain from making payments as doing that will be targeted at making our efforts futile and an attempt by the management to divide us further.
“We would continuously engage the necessary parties to actualise a reversal of the fees to the initial payment.
“We are here to represent your interest and to do that effectively, we need your support on this as in unity we can achieve a lot.
“We encourage all students to join hands with us in this struggle to see that our demands are met. If we cannot be given free education then we should get an affordable and quality one.”
