ERC COMMENDS PROTEST ACTION BY STUDENTS OF ONDO STATE COLLEGE OF HEALTH TECHNOLOGY
THE DEMANDS FOR IMPROVED LEARNING CONDITIONS AND END TO EXTORTIONIST CHARGES MUST BE MET BY ONDO STATE GOVERNMENT AND SCHOOL MANAGEMENT
The Education Rights Campaign (ERC) solidarizes with students of Ondo State College of Health Technology in their struggle against the poor teaching and learning conditions in the school, as well as against the imposition of extortionist charges by the school authorities. The students held a protest to decry the poor state of facilities in the institutions despite the outrageous fees, including extortionist charges. We call on the authorities of the institution to begin to meet the demands of the students for improvement in the facilities. According to the students, the school lacks adequate supply of electricity and water, the building facilities are not only in decrepit condition, there are also not enough infrastructures to cater for students; the teaching conditions of the lecturers are terrible. For these reasons, the protest was justifiable, and we urge the students to be resolute in their agitations and ensure that their demands are met.
The reason for the infrastructural crisis in Ondo State College of Health Technology is not farfetched. It is an accumulation of years of underfunding of public education by the Ondo state government and the government at all levels. This is why many other public institutions suffer from similar crisis. Of course, the corrupt practices of authorities of institution are also a major reason for this pathetic condition. The ERC calls on the Ondo state government to begin to adequately fund public education and uplift the tertiary institutions. There is no reason why tertiary institutions in the state should become an eyesore. Government officials in Ondo State live in opulence while children of the masses are forced to study under dangerous and pathetic conditions.
We call on COESSU, NASU and other unions in Ondo State College of Heath Technology to give support to the agitations of the students and build a united struggle platform to help wage this struggle to a success.
It is our belief that the students of Ondo State College of Health Technology have taken the right step by protesting against the crisis affecting their institution. For us, it is such a step that Nigerian students in general must take in the face of a collapsing education sector. Therefore, we call for a united struggle of students and education workers to fight against the crisis bedeviling public education. The demands of such a struggle should include adequate funding of public education at all levels and democratization of the decision making organs of institutions to Include the active participation of elected representatives of workers and students.
OGUNJIMI ISAAC,
DEPUTY NATIONAL CORDINATOR.
ADARAMOYE MICHAEL LENIN,
NATIONAL MOBILIZATION OFFICER.
E-mail: [email protected]