College transitional plans hailed

IT is good to read that the Kokopo Business College (KBC) is set to be upgraded to a polytechnic as reported on June 19.
As a concerned guardian of a student attending KBC, the college needs to improve the current status before even thinking about any upgrade.
A good number of students have withdrawn from the college because they are not getting what they deserve.
Most lecturers do not turn up for classes and some only turn up for tests without actually giving lectures.
There are no text books. Students pay to have their assignments printed.
Students are expected to do online research but no computers or internet provided.
Students carry chairs from classroom to classroom. Dormitories are cramped to capacity.
There is no student services and vital services such as counselling or chaplaincy.
The college even started lectures very late into term one.
Such problems will only result in poor quality of teaching and learning.
Any upgrade should be aimed at improving both teaching and learning and not because KBC is in a tourism hub.
The country needs quality and morally right accountants, managers and any other professionals who will graduate from KBC and not a bunch of half-baked professionals trained by ignorant lectures who do not have their students at heart.
I recommend an academic audit be done to KBC so students get what they rightfully deserve.

Concerned Guardian,
Kokopo

I thank the guardian for raising this sentiment. The issues and challenges that we are experiencing at KBC is well pointed out. First and foremost is the staff attendance to duties, roles and responsibilities that have been highlighted. Definitely, you have hit the nail on the head and I quite agree with you. We have many more problems compared with our sister colleges. KBC has produce fine graduates over the years, starting year 2000, when the college was incepted up until 2013. During this period the college has accredited with many national Universities and those who completed diploma went on to acquire degree qualifications.

In a nutshell, let me just point the problems that we are encountering at KBC. From period 2013 to now due to many changes at administrative level, different managers comes with their own management styles. TVET customs, cultures and practices have definitely faded away during this period. When one is trying to introduce the old customs, practices and norms, one is hitting a brick wall. We also have very young officers with little or no industrial exposure compared to other sister institutions. Additionally, we have few local officers who vie for senior management positions and they oppose changes, they then influence other local officers and these group of officers performances are much to be desired as they are full with jealousy, hatred etc. etc.

Many others like students services, students counselling, no computers, dormitories packed to capacity and other problems are factual stories. We are trying our very best to manage KBC despite the problems, challenges and issues raised as some of this problem is not a quick fix problem. Others we are trying to address them starting beginning of this term while many problems that we are facing now are accumulated problems that has been here ever since the inception of this college.. The withdrawals alluded may not compound to one issue, but partly yes and there could be other reasons like COVID 19 effects, school fee reasons, pregnancy, and many others.

Finally, I thank the guardian that what you have raised is a common problem we at the administrative level is trying to fix and sometimes we have nightmares, while some are beyond our control and basically to do with funding from the government. KBC is a self sustaining institution that heavily relies on school fees, unlike universities or bottom level schools that get TFF. We may fix some but many problems would continue to exist even am gone form this college.

One thought on “College transitional plans hailed”

John Karis says:
June 24, 2020 at 3:49 pm
I thank the guardian for raising this sentiment. The issues and challenges that we are experiencing at KBC is well pointed out. First and foremost is the staff attendance to duties, roles and responsibilities that have been highlighted. Definitely, you have hit the nail on the head and I quite agree with you. We have many more problems compared with our sister colleges. KBC has produce fine graduates over the years, starting year 2000, when the college was incepted up until 2013. During this period the college has accredited with many national Universities and those who completed diploma went on to acquire degree qualifications.
In a nutshell, let me just point the problems that we are encountering at KBC. From period 2013 to now due to many changes at administrative level, different managers comes with their own management styles. TVET customs, cultures and practices have definitely faded away during this period. When one is trying to introduce the old customs, practices and norms, one is hitting a brick wall. We also have very young officers with little or no industrial exposure compared to other sister institutions. Additionally, we have few local officers who vie for senior management positions and they oppose changes, they then influence other local officers and these group of officers performances are much to be desired as they are full with jealousy, hatred etc. etc.
Many others like students services, students counselling, no computers, dormitories packed to capacity and other problems are factual stories. We are trying our very best to manage KBC despite the problems, challenges and issues raised as some of this problem is not a quick fix problem. Others we are trying to address them starting beginning of this term while many problems that we are facing now are accumulated problems that has been here ever since the inception of this college.. The withdrawals alluded may not compound to one issue, but partly yes and there could be other reasons like COVID 19 effects, school fee reasons, pregnancy, and many others.
Finally, I thank the guardian that what you have raised is a common problem we at the administrative level is trying to fix and sometimes we have nightmares, while some are beyond our control and basically to do with funding from the government. KBC is a self sustaining institution that heavily relies on school fees, unlike universities or bottom level schools that get TFF. We may fix some but many problems would continue to exist even am gone form this college.

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