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Tuition increase difficult at this time

Published:Thursday | August 6, 2020 | 12:27 AM

THE EDITOR, Madam:

With the academic year 2020-21 just a month away, there are significant changes ahead for students at The University of the West Indies, Mona.

The year has seen tremendous changes in the immediate impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the sweeping effects of persons from across the globe. It is alleged that tuition fees will be up by a whopping $128,000 in some areas. This will cause great confusion among students who will now see their hopes and aspirations dwindle into abysmal levels.

We cannot afford to stifle even the least of these students and not cast blame on the authority. There must be a way out instead of strangling our most accomplished and gifted academics.

Management alongside the president of the guild, Sunjae Boswell, must try to come to a viable consensus for the benefit of all parties. It is imperative that we look at the long-term implications for students’ upward mobility.

We need the help of the Ministry of Education to resolve this growing impasse and see where largesse of monies could be used to assist these needy students. People from the private sector who have benefited from this successful system could intervene and assist, as long as they are within the law.

The persons responsible for the management of the student body in times of crises like these should not look at the socio-economic situations of the students to make a declaration. Some of those from the higher echelons of our economic hierarchy have grave difficulties to get the required monies, too, in this COVID-19 unusual situation. In other words, we need to fix the situation without using economic backgrounds as a benchmark.

PARIS TAYLOR

paristaylor82@hotmail.com