Suspension of 9 Students, Minister calls for review

The Minister for Education, Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi has requested the Governing Council of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) to review the disciplinary action taken against nine students of the university.

The Minister has also asked the Council to take a second look into the issue raised against the grading system, which has necessitated a lot of reaction from the student body.

Professor Ameyaw-Akumfi made the request when he met with the Resident Director of VALCO, and Chairman of the Governing Council, Dr. Charles Mensah.

The minister is expected to hold follow-up meeting with the Chairman, Vice-Chancellor, Pro Vice-Chancellor and the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE) next week, to deliberate on the current situation on the UCC campus.

Meanwhile, Dr. Mensah has hinted that the Governing Council will revisit the action taken against the nine students for their involvement in the March 31, 2001 demonstration, which nearly marred the university's Congregation.

In a related development, the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has threatened to stage a massive demonstration if authorities of the University do not rescind the decision to punish the nine students in two weeks.

The UCC has withheld the examination results of eight students for three academic years for their involvement in the demonstration. Another student has been rusticated for two academic years, for the same reason.

The NUGS at a news conference in Accra also called for the resignation of the Education Minister saying it does not have confidence in him.

The press conference attended by students from all the country's universities was in solidarity with the affected students and also to make public the effect of the grading system, which is at the centre of the controversy, on the students.

The students wore red bands, chanted songs and wield placards with such inscriptions as, "resign education minister", "what did we do wrong" and "UCC a mockery of democracy," among others.

The National Secretary of NUGS, Razak Awudulai told the press conference that after the demonstration, the students were made to understand that a committee which was set up to investigate its cause, will come out with recommendations on the grading system, which was the cause of the demonstration.

He said the decision of the board to rusticate and withhold the results of the students therefore came as a surprise and shock to the Union. "The Union deems the decision of the Academic Board as unfortunate, discriminatory and cowardly as well as an abuse of human rights, which has the tendency to breach democratic principles and the peaceful atmosphere in the university and the country as a whole."

The NUGS said instead of the authorities addressing the substantive issues, they went out to look for students to use as scapegoats. The Union has also called on the President to intervene and resolve the matter in order to prevent a possible unrest nation-wide.

In a petition to the Education Minister at the UCC Congregation on March 31, the students said the grading system has put the award of a first class degree beyond the reach of many otherwise excellent students and rendered many average students failures.

According to the students, a score of 64 per cent in all subjects at UCC gives a student a third class, while the same score at the University of Ghana, Legon gives a student a second class (Upper Division).

A UCC student who scores 54 per cent in all courses goes home without a certificate, while a Legon student with the same score will get a second class (lower division).

The contention is that such disparities put students of UCC at a great disadvantage on the job market, since employers look at the classes obtained and not the marks scored.