No money, no exams, no results

THE Polytechnic of Namibia has announced that it will de-register an unspecified number of students because of bad debts.

Polytechnic spokesperson Nangula Kauluma-!Gontes said on Friday that students owed around N$734 000 for this year alone and faced being de-registered and handed over to debt collectors. Earlier, the President of the Students Representative Council (SRC), Chrispin Kapalu, told The Namibian that a number of students had approached the student leadership after the institution had informed them that they would be barred from the exams because of unpaid fees.Kauluma-!Gontes said the Council was concerned about mounting outstanding fees.She said non-payment of fees exposed the institution to financial risks and poor performance.The Polytechnic receives the bulk of its annual budget as a subsidy from Government, but because of multiple national priorities, the amount had not been increased significantly and on a sustained basis.Fees payable by students amount to around 18 per cent of the Polytechnic’s revenue.”Students owing tuition and fees beyond the deadline will be de-registered.This implies that such students will not be allowed to sit for examinations, neither will they receive their results,” said Kauluma-!Gontes.She said students who owed hostel fees would also be de-registered.”The Polytechnic remains committed to principles of sound business management and quality education and relies on the understanding, support and co-operation of all our students and interested stakeholders,” Kauluma-!Gontes said.Kapalu said the SRC had received a list of students who had received bursaries from the Ministry of Higher Education two weeks ago, and the Polytechnic had subsequently served those who were not covered by the bursaries with letters demanding payment.”Obviously the students cannot settle the debts in such a short time and we have tried to negotiate with the Polytechnic who feels they must first settle and then write the exams,” Kapalu said.The SRC tried to negotiate for the institution to be allowed students to write and then to withhold the results until they settle their debts.Earlier, the President of the Students Representative Council (SRC), Chrispin Kapalu, told The Namibian that a number of students had approached the student leadership after the institution had informed them that they would be barred from the exams because of unpaid fees.Kauluma-!Gontes said the Council was concerned about mounting outstanding fees.She said non-payment of fees exposed the institution to financial risks and poor performance.The Polytechnic receives the bulk of its annual budget as a subsidy from Government, but because of multiple national priorities, the amount had not been increased significantly and on a sustained basis.Fees payable by students amount to around 18 per cent of the Polytechnic’s revenue.”Students owing tuition and fees beyond the deadline will be de-registered.This implies that such students will not be allowed to sit for examinations, neither will they receive their results,” said Kauluma-!Gontes.She said students who owed hostel fees would also be de-registered.”The Polytechnic remains committed to principles of sound business management and quality education and relies on the understanding, support and co-operation of all our students and interested stakeholders,” Kauluma-!Gontes said.Kapalu said the SRC had received a list of students who had received bursaries from the Ministry of Higher Education two weeks ago, and the Polytechnic had subsequently served those who were not covered by the bursaries with letters demanding payment.”Obviously the students cannot settle the debts in such a short time and we have tried to negotiate with the Polytechnic who feels they must first settle and then write the exams,” Kapalu said.The SRC tried to negotiate for the institution to be allowed students to write and then to withhold the results until they settle their debts.