By Nelson Manneh
Students studying Early Child Development at the Gambia College have held demonstration at the school campus asking the administration not to increase the tuition fees as planned.
Scores of students doing the ECD programme at the Gambia’s oldest tertiary institution had marched to the school’s administration asking them to drop their intent to increase their tuition fee from D7000 to D10000.
“Last year the College was privatized and we were told that we are to pay D7, 000 which we bore and this year again they are telling us that they have increased the fee to D10, 000 which we cannot afford,” they said.
These students in showing their frustration to the management of the college, said most of them are on scholarship and they cannot go back to their sponsors to inform them about the new development.
Kebba Yusuf Susso, a second year ECD students said: “Our salaries are too small when compared to the tuition fee, some of us are receiving less than D2,000 per month and we are the ones paying our tuition fees for ourselves,” he said.
Mr. Yabo the Registrar of the Gambia College speaking to Foroyaa acknowledged their intention to increase the tuition fee.
“We have discussed the matter with the Management and the Council of the College agreed upon it. We are now waiting for the Minister’s approval,” he said.
The students have engaged management, but there is yet to be a fruitful outcome. Yabo said he is very sure that the new development is going to stand and the students will be paying D10, 000 for this coming academic year.
