By PETER KORUGL
THE Government has advised students at the University of Technology in Lae to end their boycott and return to classes today.
“You have got three weeks remaining before the semester ends. I plea to you, my young people, please return to classes on Monday,” Minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology Michael Ogio told the students at the campus on Saturday.
He said he would discuss with the university’s governing council the issues raised in their petition.
He pointed out, however, that it was impossible for the Government to pick up all the increased costs of education.
“If it was forced to agree, the money would be from the current Tertiary Education Study Assistance Scheme,” he said in response to the students’ demand that the council’s proposal to increase fees by 20% be dropped.
He warned that as a consequence, some of them might miss out on scholarships.
Mr Ogio was accompanied by the director-general of the Office of Higher Education, Dr William Tagis.
Also present were several policeman and the university’s security personnel.
The protest began early this month despite the council’s agreement to a proposal by the Student Representative Council to increase the fees by only 5% for 2008 instead of 20%.
The students argued that there was no justification for any increase, and said a 23% increase was imposed in 2004 but facilities and other services remained poor.