Students of Gulu College of Health Science in Gulu city are on strike over tuition increment. While breaking off on May 13th, 2021, second-year students and finalists received circulars indicating an increment in tuition fees.
According to the circular, diploma students under government sponsorship will pay Shillings 1.47 million from Shillings 1.27 million while private sponsored students will pay Shillings 2.5 million from Shillings 2.077million
The tuition increment has not gone down well with students. A female student who declined to be named for fear of reprisal says the administration should have consulted the governing council, which comprises student representatives and other stakeholders before revising the tuition.
The student says that they want an explanation from the responsible authorities on why they increased the tuition without consulting them. Felix Ewel, a third-year student of Clinical Medicine says the recent tuition makes the institute the most expensive despite the fact that it is a public institution.
According to Ewel, they have been struggling to get the attention of the principal since May 18th in vain.
Saul Nasasira, the President of Gulu College of Health Science says that the tuition increment has not only affected finalists but the entire student population.
On Wednesday evening, a section of the students staged a procession from their main campus in Laroo –Pece Division to the finalists campus next to Gulu Regional Referral Hospital to meet the Principal. They were however dispersed by police. Two students, Vian Orombi Rwotomiya and Jacob Onyang, both final year Diploma students were arrested and detained at Gulu Central Police Station.
Grace Aninge, the Principal of Gulu College of Health Science has not yet commented as she was out of the office and all efforts to reach her on phone didn’t yield results. The students had pitched camp in the school compound with the hope of meeting the administrators by the time of filing this story.
Gulu College of Health Science offers Diploma courses like pharmacy, clinical medicine, medical laboratory, environmental health and public health dentistry, as well as a certificate in pharmacy, medical laboratory and public health dentistry among others.
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