50,000 students gained admission for undergraduate courses- report
Students resort to uncompleted hostel facilities, off-campus
Some students frustrated
Frustration has taken over as parents and some new entrants at the University of Ghana struggle to land accommodation slots and begin studies.
As the new tertiary academic term begins, fresh students are to report to their schools and begin their various admission processes including settling in their various halls and hostels.
More than 50,000 students were granted admission to various tertiary institutions nationwide for undergraduate courses, with less than 30,000 beds and accommodation. JoyNews reports that some students are being forced to give up on their dreams of starting the academic year despite gaining admission.
The situation at the University of Ghana, Legon is currently draining students, a report by JoyNews showed fresh students stranded with long faces. Some bemoaned their plight and a daunting way to start the academic year.
A freshman, who travelled all the way from Winneba, was initially excited about his admission but currently in a state of outright despair said, “I was happy when I had admission because it was my dream university.”
According to him, the accommodation portal was opened at 9 am, he waited some minutes before time yet was told all rooms he selected were full.
Due to the stress he endured ahead of the academic term, he is considering abandoning his course, “I have done whatever I could, moving from halls to halls, floors to floors but like no one. I’ve spoken a lot and I’m even tired,” he said.
Expressing his disappointment, he said, “I feel like I’ve got a school but now I’m stressed out. I want to say I really want to give up, I want to stay in the house and come next year rather.”
“We were told that because of the modular system, the people that were admitted between 2020 and 2021 academic year we were not permanent students, we were having our accommodation for just one year,” another student hit by the accommodation crisis noted.
A parent who was also frustrated by the situation said, “It is not so easy, this morning, we were told they were going to open the portal, the students have tried but to no avail, no they say the rooms are all taken, and we are coming all the way from Winneba, how is my daughter supposed to come to school all the way from Winneba.”
Some students explored off-campus options by resorting to other hostels, some students who were lucky got an uncompleted hostel apartment which according to them has been “ a bit touched up” at “2,620 cedis per semester”, for two occupants in a room.
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
