Minister Pleads With GIMPA

Minister of Education Betty Mould-Iddrisu has appealed to authorities at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) to consider the plights of students who are finding difficulties in paying the full fees being demanded by the authorities before registering students for this semester. Mrs. Mould-Iddrisu who told Adom Fm’s Dwaso Nsem on Wednesday that her attention has not been drawn to the students' plight, also acknowledged the difficulties the institutions themselves face in differentiating between the rich and needy students, even at the second cycle level. Students of GIMPA had been battling with authorities over what they described as a “throat-cutting approach” to demand the full payment of $1,024 or its equivalent in the Ghana Cedi before they are registered for the second semester. Wednesday morning’s planned demonstration by the students was called off at the last hour due to a directive by the police that the SRC failed to comply with the requirement in the Public Order Act which states that the police must be given a minimum of five days notice for such an exercise. The Education Minister however said her outfit is liaising with concerned authorities particularly the Students Loan Trust to assist those who cannot afford to pay tuition fees, while those who can pay must be made to pay. Meanwhile management of GIMPA has extended the deadline for payment of fees, to Friday 18th February, 2011 without penalty. The initial deadline expired last Friday after which it was extended to Monday the 14th but many students still found it difficult to raise the full amount. But the authorities say students facing challenges in raising the total fee being demanded can approach the Director of Students Affairs to arrange a schedule to pay their fees.