Varsity students protest suspension of allowances

KIGALI - The government’s decision to scrap the Rwf 25,000 monthly allowances for government-sponsored students has been strongly criticized by university students across the country. The decision was announced recently by the Minister of Education, Dr. Charles Murigande while meeting guild presidents from all public universities in the country. The decision will take effect in the 2011 academic year.In a telephone interview, Murigande said that it is a decision by the government to allocate the money to the twelve year basic education. “We have so many activities that require the money like the 9-Year Basic Education (9YBE) programme and the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET),” he said. He added that all over the world, governments consider primary and secondary education as their first priority and that university education is considered as a private investment where those who want to acquire it sponsor themselves privately. “Our target is to promote universal basic education first and those who want university education and cannot afford it will look for assistance elsewhere. There are students who can sustain themselves without government support,” the Minister explained. He stressed that last year,, 27,000 students in university used 25 percent of the Ministry of Education’s budget whereas 2.8 million students from primary and secondary levels were allocated 75 percent only. “Effective January 2011, students in public universities will not be receiving their Rwf 25,000 monthly stipend,” he noted. The government through the Students Financing Agency for Rwanda (SFAR) used to give monthly allowances of Rwf 25,000 to students in the public universities. Currently, SFAR sponsors 24,098 students in local universities and 773 abroad. Students’ reactions Scores of students who spoke to The Sunday Times said government should reconsider its decision, saying that once effected, it would mean the ‘end of the road’ for poor students. Umutara Polytechnic University Guild President, Paul Kalisa, said the Minister explained that the move is meant to enable the government implement its plan of equipping all schools from primary to university with modern infrastructure. A second year student at Kigali Institute of Science and Technology, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the move is not favourable at all to students because they will find it difficult to buy stationery. “My appeal is that President Paul Kagame intervenes and solves this problem which is going to affect all government sponsored students at campus,” he said.According to Sheila Mahoro, a first year student at the School of Finance and Banking, also appealed for its revision. Another student who gave his names only as Jean Claude said he has been depending on government’s monthly bursary to meet all his personal needs. “This has been the only source of income I use to cope with university life. My parents do not have the ability to get me money for survival. I have a feeling that my University dream has ended here,” he lamented. “This decision has emerged like a thunderbolt from a clear sky! To me, it should have been reached at after a series of consultations with students. This is the end of the road for most of us,” one student at Umutara Polytechnic University said. A female student at the same university who also declined to be named, said the decision might drive many poor female students into ‘dubious activities.’ “I want to assure you that problems like Aids, unwanted pregnancies, are going to be on the rise among female students. Most of them will be compelled into sex as means of survival,” she said. At the National University of Rwanda (NUR), a feeling of despair engulfed several students after the students’ leader, Hildebrande Niyomwungeri, broke the news that students’ allowance could be no more next academic year. “….We are worried for the future of students who totally relied on these allowances for survival; some may be forced to abandon their studies,” Niyomwungeri said. Some students at NUR told this paper that the decision will have severe consequences on their studies. “It is a surprise to me. I cannot believe that the government can take such a decision. If they are sponsoring us it is because we cannot afford to survive by ourselves. We are poor and lack means. So how should we cope if they abandon us?” wondered Stanislas Bazaramba, a first-year Geography student. Charles Ntihinyurwa, a third-year student in management at NUR, said: “I don’t know how my future at the university will be without the allowances to help me photocopy class notes, pay for food, accommodation and meet other basic needs. I might be forced to abandon studies before finishing.” Niyomwungeri called for more time before the decision in implemented, adding that the decision by the Ministry of Education to spend more on secondary education is laudable but ill-timed. “We have been caught unawares, we call upon the Ministry of Education to rethink its decision and continue sponsorship for at least one more year to allow students prepare themselves to meet their own living expenses,” said Niyomwungeri. According to Niyomwungeri, it will be difficult for students to cope given that they were already struggling to survive on the Rwf25, 000 allocated to them every month. He said that many students forfeited some meals, some shared beds in a bid to stretch the monthly allowance.Education Minister, Murigande, was expected to meet students of the National University of Rwanda over the matter. Additional reporting by Paul Ntambara, Dan Ngabonziza & Jean-Pierre Bucyensenge