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Sports |
Unitech students not to be blamed
I FEEL sorry for the students of
Unitech who had their studies disrupted because of a strike.
It is one of the leading technological institutions in the South
Pacific, if not the only one, apart from Australia and New
Zealand.
Despite this, the facilities and general state of the school did
not reflect the type of image we want.
For the past four years that I was a student there, we had at
least one strike every year all for various reasons but they all
reflected the mismanagement of the administration and the lack
of coordination with the staff, management, national government
and all the other support agencies.
In 2005, there was a similar strike because of a 10% increase in
school fees. Most of the actions, similar to those being carried
out by the Unitech students now, were demonstrated.
It was agreed through numerous petitions that for the increase
to take effect, most of the facilities in the school should
improve.
These included the updating of library books in the Matheson
Library, improving the internet and IT facilities and better
meal and boarding privileges, to name a few.
Sad to say, this has not been the case. Yet the administration
increased the school fees without making any significant
improvements.
Where is the logic there? In fact, the school is going deeper
into debt and the facilities are turning from bad to worse.
I really don’t know who is to blame for all these mess.
Is it the mismanagement of the Unitech administration or is it a
failure of the Government to properly fund the university?
Whatever the case may be, I do know that it is not the fault of
the students. Therefore, they should not be blamed.
To all striking Unitech, I call on all of you to stand united
and not lose your focus. However, I do not support any violence.
We did what we could during our time there, now it’s your turn
to see change do indeed take place.
A. Libe
Port Moresby
 
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