Students protest delay in issuing of transcripts

MORE than 900 students at the Madang Teachers College went on strike on Tuesday morning over the delay in their academic transcripts before their final examinations.
It forced the college administration led by principal Stephen Potek to reschedule the year one to four trimester final examination to begin on Wednesday.
A letter on behalf of the student body by student representative council president Bob Alphonse was submitted on Tuesday after the students’ academic transcripts were handed in on Monday.
Most students expressed anger at the transcripts being given seven weeks late.
A year-one student Simon Timei said some of his courses while scoring about 90% in his exams were graded as C or D.
He said it caused psychological harm as he had believed to have scored well.
He said his parents had paid high fees and such inconvenience was unacceptable.
“I might miss out in next year’s tertiary scholarship awards,” he said.
The students said the delayed issue of transcripts of last trimester on Monday had affected most of them who were supposed to have sat for their examinations.
In the letter, they said the transcripts should have been issued straight after the trimester break when necessary changes and queries could have been made, with ample time available or after the exams.
It said while transcripts were handed out most grades did not correspond to most of the scores claiming “it affects us psychologically, disturbing us”.
“We understand that the final grade point average (GPA) scored on our transcripts will: determine the tertiary scholarships awardees for 2012 academic year; and determine further studies on career path and or employment opportunities.”
Potek said the students’ request was a genuine concern and that the deputy academic head had failed the students.
“I am happy with how the demonstration had been held and procedures in carrying out the strike,” he said.
Potek assured that all transcripts containing errors would be cleared and appealed to those students concerned to make their time available to sort out individual transcripts.
“All transcripts, especially for the year-two diploma and year-four degree graduates will be made available,” he said.
He said transcripts were a pre-requisite instrument for each student and that a common understanding had been reached and exams “would be sat by the students”.