Students protest over late exam results and move of campus

CLOSE to 1 000 students from the Central Johannesburg College in Alexandra are unhappy after not being able to register for the new academic year due to results not being released on time.

Students, members of the community and others affiliated with the National Health Education and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) blocked the main entrance to the campus in Alexandra yesterday and burnt tyres, demanding the principal come out and address issues the college faces. Among other issues, students are frustrated at the decision taken by the management to move certain courses to the Ellis Park campus in Doornfontein.

The union’s media liaison, Khaya Xaba told The Star members were up in arms after 71 lecturers were suspended from different campuses and, as a result, students were unable to obtain their results and register for the new academic year.

“The students, staff and the broader community expressed their frustration after still not being able to access their results and this has resulted in students not being able to register for this year. Staff also participated in the protest after 71 of them have been suspended,” said Xaba.

He said it was still not known why these lecturers were suspended last year.

Students’ frustrations did not end there after they were told certain courses would be moved to the Ellis Park campus this year.

“Students are also upset after they found out some programmes and courses will be moved to Ellis Park campus. This will incur costs for students. They now walk to the campus in Alexandra but will now have to get transport to travel to and from class,” Xaba said.

He said some students’ costs would double should the college go ahead with moving courses to the Ellis Park campus.

“Students are against the transfer as they can’t afford the transport and rental costs in the Ellis Park area, which he said were about R1800 compared to R700 in Alex,” said Xaba.

He said a member of the Students Representative Council, Clive Mogale, had informed him that yesterday’s incident was incited when students were told that the mechanical engineering and business courses had been transferred to the Ellis Park campus.

“This has been done without consulting students.

“This will put so much strain on us as students,” added Mogale.

The Students Representative Council has since handed over a memorandum to the management at the college and the Department of Education, but there has been no response to their concerns and demands so far.

The union said a meeting would be held with the college’s council to find a way to deal with the issues.

After numerous attempts to contact the administration of the college, no response to queries was provided by the time of publication.