by Bethanie Harriman – EM TV News, Lae
Students from Lae’s University of Technology held week-long discussions on decisions made at the Office of Higher Education, Science and Technology to change how they are being graded.
The student body met in a forum with the institute’s administration and a compromise was reached to stay with the weighted average until dorms, classrooms and laboratories are improved.
Unitech has also received a slight funding cut of K2 million from the K47 million it receives annually from the national government.
Unitech students had raised questions last week about decisions coming from the Ministry of Higher Education to change how students are graded and exam pass marks increasing from 65%.
The student body sees the move as a way to cut student numbers and decrease funding allocations to the university.
They accused the department of increasing semester pass marks as a way to cut back on student numbers and decrease funding to the university.
There has been reassurance from the administration that this won’t be the case.
The student body blames unwise government planning of the economy and corruption that’s causing a rippling affects felt in the essential sectors of education and health.
Unitech has also received a budget cut of K2 million from its annual government funding, thanks to the onset of increased school fees.
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