Circus engulfed the School of Finance and Banking (SFB) as one of the students Justin Serugendo decides to protest against his expulsion a decision that made him resort to sleep in a tree at the main city round about.
This has raised debates among students at SFB with some behind the decision taken by their fellow student praising him for having done a brave thing and some dishonoring the decision as improper.
The Genesis
In his letter dated October 12, 2011 of which Igihe.com has seen, Serugendo’s described his expulsion as unfair decision taken against him by university authorities.
Serugendo decried for justice from the school’s decision to expel him. The disturbing part as narrated by Serugendo is that 84points of his marks went missing a way he doesn’t understand.
“After completing 24 courses which cost me Rwf 1,500,000 that I paid personally and now in several debts, the school authority has taken their decision to expel me. What hurts me most is that they have chased me after being promoted to 3rd year where I studied for one month and eight days paying Rwf 283,000. Now in a bid to take away my life they have taken away my 84 points which are equivalent to 9% so that I cannot be admitted elsewhere.” Serugendo said in his letter.
Serugendo had emphasized he will not leave the tree unless university authorities especially the Vice Rector in Charge of Academics, police and journalists arrive at the scene.
Comments from fellow students
A third year female student from SFB who declined to say her name said that their colleague did what is right despite the rain that dropped on him while in the tree.
“Speaking the truth, our authorities say they want quality in academics but you find that they are bringing misery to our lives; there are times our marks are missing with no explanation, and other times they mark badly. But how can you study from 1st year to 3rd year without knowing your marks? Do you know that from 1st year we don’t know our marks?” She said.
Quest for rights
Engulfed by anger to the point of failing to talk Alice a 3rd year student who declined to mention her second name said that the level of injustice they face at SFB has never existed in other universities in Rwanda.
“I want to tell you that right now no one is allowed to re-seat a second paper (Supplementary papers), what hurts us most is that whether you are sick to the death point or you have lost some one, they can’t give you the paper once you come back. They instead oblige one to re-take the paper as if you failed the first seating and once you fail this paper they automatically chase you.” Alice said.
“Even though I was lucky this year and passed, I support my colleague for the brave action taken because he was fighting for all our rights and leaving that aside no one is happy when his colleague is expelled because what follows the expulsion is poor conditions of leaving.
University Student authorities told igihe.com that Serugendo had mental condition following his recent visit to Kanombe military hospital for cross examination though said to have been in a stable conditions.
SFB student authorities said that it is normal that a student who fail one subject is likely to be expelled or would do it in the following year but that when he fails a course.
Responding to a similar case involving 36 students from SFB who were expelled the student’s guild president said;- “We notified the University authorities requesting them to discuss the matter and see if there is something else they can do so that these fellow can continue with their studies but we are still waiting up to now. May be something will be done,”
University authorities said that the decision taken by Serugendo is a disgraced one because it wasn’t how the problem should have been handled.
However, students on the other hand rejoiced calling their colleagues a hero for the decision taken despite the rain.
The SFB Vice-Rector in charge of Academic (VRAC), Dr Papias Musafiri said that the intention of stopping students from doing Special/Supplementary exams is that they want quality and students to pass.
“If someone only passes after doing re-takes, he completes his university education with low marks such that it becomes hard for him to get a good job or be admitted in another university for masters. We therefore enforced these bylaws to wake up students to take studies seriously,” Musafiri said.
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