Polytech students to end boycott

Education
Source:
The National, Monday July 18th, 2016

 By JUNIOR UKAHA
LAE Poly Technical (Polytech) Institute has saved its academic year because its Students Representative Council (SRC) decided to stop participating in a nationwide student boycott and return to classes.
SRC president Lazabrian Kunda told The National last Friday that it was a tough decision the SRC had to make but it was taken in the best interest of the 1300-plus students.
Polytech had joined other students from the University of Papua New Guinea, University of Technology and the University of Goroka in a boycott demanding Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to step down from office over corruption allegations.
“Though we had initially gone through a rough situation I am glad that students sat for their exams,” Kunda said.
“We had joined the protests for about a week and then pulled off.”
Kunda said the reason the Polytech SRC had not participated in the prolonged boycott was that it foresaw that students’ studies would be adversely affected.
He explained that another reason was that the Polytech SRC was yet to have a constitution in place to allow for students to vote on whether to join boycotts or not.
“We feel sorry for our colleagues at UPNG and Unitech,” Kunda said.
“Classes at UPNG were suspended and Unitech is yet to know its fate.”
Kunda, a building engineering student, said the students were fighting against corruption and did something they thought was right.
He called on Papua New Guineans to vote good leaders into parliament in 2017 so that they can serve the people well and not their own interests.

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