bahamiangoddess
04-21-08, - 01:11 PM
April 21st, 2008
BTVI Students Disgruntled Over Cancelled Graduation
BY VANESSA C. ROLLE
FREEPORT, Grand Bahama –
Some students at the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI) in Grand Bahama are up in arms over a canceled June graduation ceremony.
The students said administration officials told them that there would be no summer classes this year and that graduation is not in the school’s budget.
Students said as far as they know, their internship programmes were also not prepared as yet.
Inza Lundy, acting director of BTVI’s Freeport campus, declined to comment and referred the Bahama Journal to the Ministry of Education.
Ministry of Education officials in turn referred the Journal to Dr. Iva Dahl, who runs the Nassau BTVI campus.
Dr. Dahl confirmed that she had spoken with the students early Friday morning and answered any questions they had. She declined to make any official comment on the matter to the press.
Meanwhile, the students said they don’t want to be in school for more than the one year they are supposed to because they are ready to fully join the workforce
Vashta Richardson, a student in the Office Administration programme, said she was told that the summer classes were cut because the school does not have sufficient funds.
She said that graduation was scheduled for June 25 and summer classes were to end at the beginning of that month. Now, the school year is slated to end Friday.
"When we entered the school, we were told that we can complete a programme in a year’s time, and we need certain classes in order to complete that programme," Mrs. Richardson said.
"But if the summer classes are not being presented we can’t complete the programme. This means we would have to come back in September, which is the beginning of a new year – pay another fee to return to school and go through almost another half of year of classes."
Some full-time students, who go to classes in the day, complained that they were told that they would also now have to go to school in the evening to take their final examinations.
"This is another clash," Mrs. Richardson said. "We are also having lecturers that are complaining. They are walking out and quitting and they are saying that they are not being paid. Some of them said that they just got paid this week – from February – and this is why we are not having summer classes.
"They are saying that if they are not being paid on time, then it makes no sense for them to come to work. We are hoping that by speaking to the media we will have some changes, and they will realize that BTVI is the only tertiary institution right now for Bahamians that is affordable and we only have to pay a registration fee of $100. Everywhere else education is expensive."
She and the other students said they felt as if they were being held hostage by this situation.
"We don’t have any qualifications to work and we’re trying to get the qualifications and nothing is happening. We want to have our summer sessions and as daytime students we want to come in the day to do our examinations because we have families and some part-time students have jobs and other things we have to do," Mrs. Richardson said.
The students said they tried to talk to Mrs. Lundy, but got no satisfactory answers.
Mitzi Laurie Papageorge, a 54-year-old former employee of the Royal Oasis Resort, indicated that she was finally looking forward to graduating from a tertiary institution.
"Do you know what it is to come back to school at the age of 54 and now they are going to deny me my rights?" Mrs. Papageorge asked.
She said she worked at the Royal Oasis Resort for 30 years and received less than $8,000 when the hotel closed in 2004 after Hurricane Frances.
"I appreciate the compensation that the government gave us, but I say I am not going to sit on my laurels and expect a handout. I came back to school to empower myself and get a qualified job," she said.
"Now after all of this time spent learning the craft and learning everything they taught, now they are not sure that we are going to graduate at the time we’re suppose to? It is unfair to me personally and everyone else in this class."
Clemma Bain, another student, expressed concern that she will not get the time off from her boss to complete her courses if the time is extended.
"Who knows, my boss might say this is taking too much time away from your job. What is more important to you? Both are important but I am afraid we are going to have to choose which one we want to do, and we do have to survive," she said.
"I feel as if we have been taken advantage of. We are human beings. We have a voice and we need to be heard. Don’t tell us to go in a corner. We are not children. We are all adults. You are not dealing with kindergarten students. We understand that you’re trying to make this like Nassau, but don’t shove it all at us one time and say ‘here; take it’."
BTVI Students Disgruntled Over Cancelled Graduation
BY VANESSA C. ROLLE
FREEPORT, Grand Bahama –
Some students at the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI) in Grand Bahama are up in arms over a canceled June graduation ceremony.
The students said administration officials told them that there would be no summer classes this year and that graduation is not in the school’s budget.
Students said as far as they know, their internship programmes were also not prepared as yet.
Inza Lundy, acting director of BTVI’s Freeport campus, declined to comment and referred the Bahama Journal to the Ministry of Education.
Ministry of Education officials in turn referred the Journal to Dr. Iva Dahl, who runs the Nassau BTVI campus.
Dr. Dahl confirmed that she had spoken with the students early Friday morning and answered any questions they had. She declined to make any official comment on the matter to the press.
Meanwhile, the students said they don’t want to be in school for more than the one year they are supposed to because they are ready to fully join the workforce
Vashta Richardson, a student in the Office Administration programme, said she was told that the summer classes were cut because the school does not have sufficient funds.
She said that graduation was scheduled for June 25 and summer classes were to end at the beginning of that month. Now, the school year is slated to end Friday.
"When we entered the school, we were told that we can complete a programme in a year’s time, and we need certain classes in order to complete that programme," Mrs. Richardson said.
"But if the summer classes are not being presented we can’t complete the programme. This means we would have to come back in September, which is the beginning of a new year – pay another fee to return to school and go through almost another half of year of classes."
Some full-time students, who go to classes in the day, complained that they were told that they would also now have to go to school in the evening to take their final examinations.
"This is another clash," Mrs. Richardson said. "We are also having lecturers that are complaining. They are walking out and quitting and they are saying that they are not being paid. Some of them said that they just got paid this week – from February – and this is why we are not having summer classes.
"They are saying that if they are not being paid on time, then it makes no sense for them to come to work. We are hoping that by speaking to the media we will have some changes, and they will realize that BTVI is the only tertiary institution right now for Bahamians that is affordable and we only have to pay a registration fee of $100. Everywhere else education is expensive."
She and the other students said they felt as if they were being held hostage by this situation.
"We don’t have any qualifications to work and we’re trying to get the qualifications and nothing is happening. We want to have our summer sessions and as daytime students we want to come in the day to do our examinations because we have families and some part-time students have jobs and other things we have to do," Mrs. Richardson said.
The students said they tried to talk to Mrs. Lundy, but got no satisfactory answers.
Mitzi Laurie Papageorge, a 54-year-old former employee of the Royal Oasis Resort, indicated that she was finally looking forward to graduating from a tertiary institution.
"Do you know what it is to come back to school at the age of 54 and now they are going to deny me my rights?" Mrs. Papageorge asked.
She said she worked at the Royal Oasis Resort for 30 years and received less than $8,000 when the hotel closed in 2004 after Hurricane Frances.
"I appreciate the compensation that the government gave us, but I say I am not going to sit on my laurels and expect a handout. I came back to school to empower myself and get a qualified job," she said.
"Now after all of this time spent learning the craft and learning everything they taught, now they are not sure that we are going to graduate at the time we’re suppose to? It is unfair to me personally and everyone else in this class."
Clemma Bain, another student, expressed concern that she will not get the time off from her boss to complete her courses if the time is extended.
"Who knows, my boss might say this is taking too much time away from your job. What is more important to you? Both are important but I am afraid we are going to have to choose which one we want to do, and we do have to survive," she said.
"I feel as if we have been taken advantage of. We are human beings. We have a voice and we need to be heard. Don’t tell us to go in a corner. We are not children. We are all adults. You are not dealing with kindergarten students. We understand that you’re trying to make this like Nassau, but don’t shove it all at us one time and say ‘here; take it’."