Students cannot dictate terms

 THE standoff between students and the administration of the University of Technology has posed a serious question on the use of activism. 

The boycotting of classes by the student body and staff and their demand that sidelined vice-chancellor Dr Albert Schram be returned to his position cannot be allowed to hold sway. 

The students’ stance is admirable but this is neither the forum nor the cause to be taking such action as suspending classes to force the authorities to expedite the process of reinstatement. 

Surely, the students are the ones who suffer the most in the end. 

Furthermore this is an ad­ministrative matter and should be left at that. 

It is the students’ education and prospects that will be affected. It must be clarified whether this decision to temporarily call off classes has the unanimous backing of the student body. 

We cannot help but think that there is a silent and per­haps sizeable section of young people at this institution who sympathise with Schram but have no inclination to go this far to show their support. 

Simply stated, it is not their duty to go into bat for him. If he has been an effective head and has overseen positive changes to the university over his tenure then his value in the eyes of the state and the body that appoints heads of institutions, the university council, will be taken into account if it has not already. What the student body cannot do is dictate terms to the University Council, the Ministry for Higher Education and even the Prime Minister. 

They should save their activism for issues that really need a voice – and there are many to choose from we think. 

Women’s issues, corruption, the lack of employment opportunities and the list goes on. 

Newly-appointed Higher Education, Science and Tech­nology Minister Delilah Gore has been accommodating of students’ stance on the treatment of Schram but she has rightfully said this week that the state will not negotiate with students and staff pushing for Schram’s return.

“The student body is not the appointing authority at any university around the world. Therefore they have no legal right or moral responsibility and authority to request the government to appoint a vice-chancellor,” Gore said in a statement yesterday. 

One must remember a school is not governed along the lines of a democracy. 

Students do not get voting rights to elect who their next head will be. 

Schools are autocratic by necessity. 

There is a rank and file to follow; a hierarchy that must be maintained if the institution is to achieve its goal of higher learning. 

Much like a professional sports team, players cannot dictate to club management whether a coach stays or goes. That decision is best left to the people who pay the coach’s salary not the players under the coach. 

If we were to hire and fire at the whim of the students/workers/players then the systems that keep schools and any organisation for that matter, in order will invariably breakdown. 

There will be chaos because the power is with a body that should not wield such influence. 

Schools rely on a static chain of command to stay fluid and productive. 

Unlike a democracy, the power and authority should come from the top down not the other way around. 

Any successful and vibrant institution is run by good managers whose power is derived from separate bodies. 

Schram maybe an unfortunate victim of politics or it could just be that the council has decided he is no longer the man for the job. 

Regardless, it is their legal right to make that choice.  

If the students want to voice their concerns on an administrative issue they can follow other means such as formally expressing their dissatisfaction at the actions of the council and enumerate the reasons supporting their position; they can have a petition signed by those in the student body who disagree with the council’s decision; they can chose to go elsewhere if they feel strongly about the situation, but they should not jeopardise their learning and future for the sake of one man no matter how badly they think he has been treated by the powers that be. It is not worth it.