UTG students resume classes

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By Sailu Bah Students of the University of the Gambia UTG yesterday, Tuesday 31 March, have UTG Studentsnow resumed their classes after boycotting lectures in protest against the introduction of a new grading system and tuition fee increment with retroactively application. This development came after the meeting of the Senate on Monday which announced that the new policy will not affect students who are presently enrolled. Visiting the various campuses of the UTG at Faraba Banta, Brikama and Law Faculty in Kanifing yesterday, Tuesday, 28 March, this reporter have seen students attending lectures. A staff of the UTG Admin at the Faraba Banta, who prefers anonymity, also confirmed that students are now attending classes compared to the past days when very few went for lectures. He said the buses that come with students from Brikama are now bringing the students for classes. “In the past few days during the student protest the buses from the Brikama campus were not bringing students because students were not willing to come for classes and just 1 or 2 people from the greater Banjul area will be willing to go for classes” he disclosed. Salimatou Jaiteh, who has completed her degree program, said she came to the Faraba Banta Faculty for her transcript but was by Admin that it will be issued out on 6th April 2014. At the Brikama Campus, the students were also seen in the classes attending lectures. The new development is welcomed by Fannah Mbowe, the current Welfare Minister of the UTG Student Government. She expressed the hope that all their demands will be met. An aspiring Student Union presidential candidate, Bakary Fatty, expressed similar remarks, adding that by the 6th April the final outcome will be determined by Governing Council regarding the grading system and 10 percent increment of tuition fees. The Acting Dean of the Law Faculty, Johannes Buabeng-Baidoo, in his office at Kanifing, said “the Council will be meeting on the 6th April not purposely for the grading system but to discuss all issues regarding the UTG. In this meeting, all the decisions will be finalised by Council.” He also noted that the situation has now improved as students are now coming for classes.]]>