By PETER KORUGL and ISAAC NICHOLAS
THREE students from the University of Technology in Lae were attacked in their campus hostel at Taraka early yesterday morning as their class boycott entered its 12th day.
One of the students claimed the attackers were armed with bush knives, sticks and stones.
However, all three did not suffer serious injury and were discharged after treatment at the Angau Memorial Hospital.The attackers fled when police arrived.
Some students who accompanied the injured to the hospital said frustration was building up at the campus over the Government’s failure to stop the university from increasing fees next year.
“We are frustrated that the Government has yet to respond to our demands. We have less than two weeks remaining before our semester ends and we are missing classes,” one student told The National.
In Port Moresby, however, Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology Michael Ogio said the Government had agreed with the university’s governing council to increase board and lodging fees by 5% for next year.
He said the increase would range from K6.60 (for government scholarship students) to K171.50.
Students would be allowed to pay the fees in installments by the end of the first semester, he told a press conference after a meeting with the council.
Following the students’ protest, the council had offered to increase the fees by 5% for next year and the proposed 20% after that.
However, the students have insisted that there be no fee increase at all.
Mr Ogio said the 5% increase was not much and appealed to the students to return to classes. “I will address your petition which you presented to me in Lae. But students, please, please, attend classes by this week,” he said.
It was also agreed at the meeting that the Office of Higher Education will immediately allocate K5 million to replace or repair equipment and instruments and that a submission be made to the National Executive Council to address the university’s financial needs.
There were conflicting reports of the attack which occurred at about 3am.
One student told The National that some students wanted to return to classes while others wanted to continue with the boycott, which started on Oct 5.
Another said it was not related to the boycott but an assault on a student by a group of drunken students.
Police mobile and task force units have been sent to the campus.
University registrar Allan Sako said they called the police in to “protect lives and properties”.
He said the university was operating as “normal” and that the academic calendar would not be amended to make up for the classes missed by the students.
“The teaching staff are at their posts. Any student who wants to go back to class can do so, there is nothing stopping them.
“The academic year ends on Nov 30 when all academic activities will stop. So I urge all the students to go back to class and pass their exams,” Mr Sako said.
He said Mr Ogio had heard their grievances and toured the campus to see for himself the conditions of the teaching facilities, laboratories and other infrastructure.
“The minister is now fully aware of what is happening here and I am confident he will take it up with the Government.
“They should be satisfied that their demand for the Government to step in has been fulfilled.”
Chancellor Philip Staff said the university’s board and lodging fees were the lowest in the country.