State varsity student’s union President decries over inadequate facilities, others

 

    

By Sheriff Saidykhan

Kemo Conteh,  President of the University of the  Gambia student’s union has decried over the growing inadequate facilities at the University.

He made these remarks in an interview with The Outpost Media on  Monday June 19, 2023.

Limited space to accommodate student's he said, has been one of the main challenges facing student's at the University. 

“There are limited space to accommodate the overwhelming number of student's. Many of our classes are over-crowded, not conducive and not stimulating for learning at all. 

It is suicidal and fatal to squeeze hundreds of student's in classes that are meant to accommodate only fifty student's. The focus of the University management is not to commensurate or proportionate intakes with the existing space, but enrolling more than the existing space can accommodate, which is as a results of their thirst for more money from tuition fees, without respecting the rights of student's,” he lamented. 

He said under his leadership he registered significant stride to initiate the “Hardship Fund” to help support the tuition fees of 40 student's, but added that the problem of tuition fees still remains a nightmare for student's. 

“This year, under my leadership, I have managed to create the first ever “Hardship Fund” for student's. From this account, I have managed to pay 40 per cent of the semester fees of 40 student's. Yet the problem of tuition fees remains a nightmare,” he said.

He further highlighted the numerous challenges facing the University, chief among which he said, is the lack of capacity building training for lecturers.

“It is disheartening to note that majority of lecturers taking us in our university are without terminal degrees which is P.H.D. 

It is worthwhile to note that the quality and ranking of Universities across the world is also anchored on the qualifications of her academic and administrative staff. The University of The Gambia management does not have any working policy to build and enhance the capacity of the lecturing staff,” he argued. 

He added: “University of the Gambia has the most frustrating and difficult administrative and bureaucratic operations. It is disheartening to note that basic requests are to be approved by the Vice Chancellor, which are always met with unnecessary delays and frustrations, when problems remain spiralling and out control,” he concluded.