Dear Editor,
Kindly allow me space in your widely read publication. I would like to express my displeasure at the happenings at Mulungushi University.
I am a sponsor to one of the students pursuing a bachelor’s degree at Mulungushi University under Open Distance Learning. The distance students are scheduled to attend a 2 weeks residential school starting on 7 February, 2021. In an effort to enforce covid-19 regulations, they are requiring (among other things) that each student presents a negative covid-19 certificate. Even those that are bringing the students are required to present the same. This presents very serious challenges for both sponsors and students.
Most people will fail to attend this residential session simply because they will not be able to afford. In addition to paying at least 50% of tuition fees, where are we going to find the extra K2000 for this covid test certificate? Mind you, we also have to look for transport to and from this institution as well as the money for upkeep and other expenses incidental to the residential school. Does management know how difficult it is to find money in the covid new normal? For those who will travel by public transport, how sure is management that they will not contract Covid on the way to the University despite presenting a negative result?
Other students had planned to be coming from out of compus (to save on cost) but are now being required to all be in residence. Will the lecturers and other staff also be staying in residence? If they will not be in residence, are they going to be testing them every day to ensure that they do not infect the student populace? If they have allowed the Postgraduates to attend virtually, why can’t they do the same to the undergraduates? Why are they hell-bent on putting students at risk?
Please Editor, ask these questions on our behalf. I have been trying to get answers from them, but these people are so rude that they don’t even answer their phones. When they do finally answer, they are not very knowledgeable.
Thanks in advance.
We will look into this and liaise with government on your behalf. We hear your cries
kwena ba mulungushi why not introducing online learning like we did last year
We need alumni like you to provide solutions and engage your university. Use your knowledge gained there to improve things for others
This university is always looking for ways to punish its own students, if you cant handle covid, then don’t open your school, let students go online, dont stress parents with the already strained economy, ask the Government to pay for test certificates, am sure it is also involved in this your decision
But why can’t the university work with ministry of health to see how they can help with testing tools ..instead of overcharging student’s.
Who ever suggested K2000 as fee to obtain a covid19 certificate is not realistic. Most of the people in Zambia are tuntemba owners and these have been badly hit. In all fairness let Mulungushi University do this testing in house. They University has to meet the cost as it was not planned for. This is the problem that we are having=. What is the responsibility of PF GRZ? There have been a lot of donations and diverting kasaka kanono for testing students cant be a big loss. Dr. Jonas Chanda and Dr. Wanchinga what are take on this honourables?
These tests should be for free to the entire population.
But we know how PF operate.
They are thieves.
Ba koswe. Impupu ishabula insoni.
Vote wisely.
It is very necessary to have these tests done for your safety and safety of others but the method may be wrong. They can take a leaf from Chengelo school in Mkushi where ever student was tested apon arrival using temperature sensor and a rapid test which is a bit cheaper than a PCR test and affordable to the student. Parents were required to drop off the students at the gate and not allowed entry into the premises so there was no need of testing them.
Why should they even be charging for testing… Let them as the ministry of health for assistance
Mulungushi is just one useless college turned into a half baked University. They always want to make money even from this disease. It simply doesn’t make sense.
Very soon Helicy Ngambi will be charging for the air students breathe at the campus as if she owns it! Malabisi yaka college ala!
Even the idea of charging should just be discouraged… Government should come in on this one. Mulungushi has very high tuition fees..then they add Covid testing fee . No