Uni teachers want law amended

STAFF associations at the University of Technology (Unitech) in Lae, Morobe, want parliament to seriously consider amending the Higher Education Act before the National Executive Council.
National Academic Staff Association president Simon Sengi, National Staff Association president Wilfred Pasanai, treasurer Niamet Herry, secretary Lonom Bona and academic staff Micah Vines made the call during a media conference at the Taraka campus yesterday.
Also supporting them was the non-citizen staff association, comprising members from abroad.
They also wanted the interim university council, led by Yep Telue, to refrain from making public statements that could cause further confusion, disharmony  and agitation among stakeholders, including the public.
Pasanai said the current issue relating to moves by the council to remove Albert Schram as Unitech vice-chancellor was a sensitive issue and needed to be handled in an amicable and professional manner.
Sengi said the council was using its powers under the law to push matters that were not in the best interest of the university.
Minister for Higher Education David Arore last week dissolved the university council although that resolution was yet to be gazetted.
The minister also appointed former Internal Revenue Commissioner and businessman Sir Nagora Bogan as chancellor of the university. 
Sengi said the associations were supporting the amendment to the Higher Education Act that would give the minister more power to intervene in council matters.
The current law did not provide for direct intervention by the minister.