Less than 48 hours after the Staff Association of the University of The Gambia announced the resumption of its strike, disenchanted students of the University of The Gambia hit the streets on a peaceful protest at the University themed “Enough is Enough.”
The UTG Students’ Union took the students’ grudges to the streets, seeking UTG management and lecturers to take their education with utmost importance.
On Tuesday, the Staff Association of the University ordered that “all UTG activities are put on hold, and no office, except the Department of Finance, Internal Audit, and Security, are permitted to work. The association also appealed to all the TAC volunteers, among other visiting lecturers, to stay home in solidarity with the UTG Staff .“
Following the lecturers’ strike, the students asked that the University Management effectively resolve all missing grades of the students and immediately address late submission of grades.
The students further requested the immediate expulsion of all underperforming lecturers in the University “because we need quality, receptive and relevant education,” the UTG students said in a memo shared with the media.
Visibly concerned about the crisis, the UTG students’ union president Ousman Jassey said students had endured so much worse deplorable and debilitating conditions than the staff and management are facing.
He consequently said the students demand the “reduction of tuition fees for university education, strong WiFi/Internet connectivity across all campuses before lectures begin.”
They also want buses for students’ transport, “the renovation of all poor facilities in UTG before lectures begin this semester.” Finally, the students’ call includes the provision of “laboratories for the medical school and Arts and Sciences, studios for the Journalism Students, libraries in all campuses, especially Brikama campus.”
To avoid deception, the UTG students’ union demands that the government “constitute a task force committee which MUST include the students that would spearhead the implementation of each of the students’ demands.”