CAPE VARS REACTS

The University of Cape Coast has clarified the issue of payment of fees by its students. A statement signed by the Registrar, Mr.. Kweku Konadu, explained that the fees being charged are not for tuition, because the government continues to be responsible for tuition for all students. The statement said the fees do not also have any direct relationship to the cost-sharing proposals currently being debated. Instead, the fees are to enable the University to maintain a good academic environment for the training of students. The statement added that the payment of fees by continuing students is not new in universities in the country. On the claim by NUGS that their members were not consulted, it stated that during the last academic year, the issue of extending certain fees, hitherto paid by only fresh students, to continuing students was discussed with their leadership but the student leadership pleaded for time to educate their colleagues on the issue. The students cannot, therefore, claim ignorance about the university's intention to introduce the fees. The statement advised the continuing students to adopt a positive attitude towards the payment since it is in their interest. The Pro-Vice Chancellor, Prof. Jophus Anamuah-Mensah, said at a new conference in Cape-Coast last month that students of the University of Cape Coast are to pay fees ranging from 75 thousand to 212 thousand cedis for this academic year. End