Uni students protest against VC’s sacking

MORE than 3,000 students at the University of Technology’s Taraka’s campus, in Lae, Morobe province, yesterday protested against the sacking of vice chancellor, Dr Albert Schram.
The students and the National Staff Association are demanding an immediate reversal of that decision.
The students gave the university council 48 hours to reverse the decision and seven days for Chancellor Philip Stagg, registrar Allan Sako and council members to resign.
In addition, the students called for an immediate investigation into all university administration accounts.
More than 3,000 students cancelled classes to march to the administration building, demanding an explanation from council members on Schram’s sacking.
The students asked Stagg to justify the reasons for the sacking.
Stagg tried to leave through the back gate but students followed him there. Stagg then left his vehicle and jumped on a PMV bus from Bumayong.
Stagg’s vehicle was burnt, while the windscreen of Sako’s vehicle was smashed and the tyres punctured.
Students demanded Sako’s attention until he walked out of office at 10.15am to address them.
Sako said the university council had the power to decide on scholars based on their performances because they were employees.
Sako admitted that the council convened last Thursday and decided to sack Schram because he wanted to decommission a Masters programme in electrical engineering, downsize the council from 25 members to 12 and reduce programmes in each department.
He said Schram had been invited to justify his plans but did not say much.
In a short speech, Schram acknowledged the students and said Sako was confused over his explanation. 
He said he was informing the Office of Higher Education and Minister for Higher Education, Research and Technology, David Arore about his sacking.
“Please students no violence,” Schram said.
Sako was in his office all day yesterday trying to call council members to convene an urgent meeting.
 to decide alternatives.