College students claim lecturers skip classes

Students’ Union of Namibia (SUN) president Benhard Kavau says the union has received information from students at Triumphant College that some lecturers have consistently been failing to turn up for classes.

However, college spokesperson Kamenye Lukas says this claim is not true.

This comes after students at the college’s Windhoek campus in Khomasdal raised concerns about the management of classes and communication with students.

“This leaves students without the education they need and deserve, and is unacceptable,” Kavau says.

He said the union condemns any lecturer who fails to turn up for classes and said such staff members should be removed from their position.

“It is unacceptable that students pay for their education only to be denied the opportunity to learn due to the negligence of some lecturers,” he says.

The union recommends that the salary of such staff members be redirected towards providing students with additional resources and support.

“We urge the college administration to take swift and decisive action to address this issue and ensure that all lecturers fulfil their duties to the best of their abilities.

“We stand with our fellow students in demanding the highest quality of education possible, and will not rest until this is achieved,” Kavau says.

Lukas this week admitted that some students have claimed they are not adequately taught.

“We want to assure you that we take these concerns seriously and are committed to providing quality education and support services to all our students.

“However, claims made by students that there are no lecturers attending to them is not true.

“All subjects and modules at the college have dedicated lecturers who are responsible for delivering course content and supporting students throughout their academic journey,” he said.

Lukas further advised students to use the right channels of communication to have their concerns addressed.

He said there will be no exams this month.

“Our academic board decided to provide students with a third opportunity for examination.

“Among them are full-time, part-time and distance students who have accused the college of neglecting their educational needs,” he said.

One distance student, who wishes to remain anonymous, says he has been provided the wrong modules, and attended the wrong classes and did the wrong assessments.

This was then rectified, leaving the student with tight deadlines and uncertainty about meeting them.

“I even had to write a test the same day I received the correct modules, without enough preparation,” he says.

Another student says the lack of communication with distance students is another challenge.

“We pay tuition fees, but are treated as if we’re doing the course for free.

“We constantly seek confirmation about important matters and struggle with insufficient information,” she says.

Students have also expressed frustration with a lack of clarity regarding special exams and the challenges of the college’s e-learning platform.

The college’s management is criticised for their unresponsiveness and failure to address students’ concerns.

“We’re left in the dark about important matters, such as exam dates and module changes. It’s frustrating,” another student says.