I AM writing this letter out of frustration as I have sought other means of addressing this issue but have been unsuccessful. I have a child in the 2nd year law programme at the University of Guyana, and I, other parents and students are being financially exploited by the law department.
As a tradition, the 3rd year students (the graduating class) usually host a welcoming reception for the first year students of the department so as to get them acquainted with the lecturers and fellow colleagues. I see no harm as the students do hotdog and food sale on campus to come up with money to offset that expense. The cost for this event is just about $300,000.
However, the current 2nd year class has set up a committee to deal with this fundraising and it is this committee that has now decided to, in addition to hosting the traditional reception for the 1st year students, host a gala for magistrates, judges and members of the judiciary. The class will now have to raise $2M for the hosting of these two events.
Last semester, they hosted a hotdog and food sale, following donations from students in the class and got just about $200,000. This semester, the students were told that they each have to contribute $1000 a month towards the $2M target. In addition, they have another hotdog sale on Wednesday for which they have to make donations. What happened to the $200,000 profits they made last year? Why does a parent have to keep contributing monies towards a gala for judges and magistrates, who can very well afford to buy tickets for such an event?
Parents who have children in the law programme have to pay extremely high sums for tuition. In addition, the cost for the work materials from lecturers are expensive. Every week I have to pay at least $1500 for handouts from lecturers. The cost for books for that programme is exorbitant. For example, the cost for the two required books for one course – administrative law- is $28,000. They are doing four courses, so Mr. Editor, you can imagine the cost. Thus my child had to settle for photocopy versions of the two books which cost $3500 and $2000 respectively.
Some days I can barely afford bus fare for my child to go to classes just to hear that classes have been cancelled. The tuition for Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad is $6.4M and come next September, I have to mortgage my home to get that money and that cost does not include accommodation, food, books and other school materials.
Last week, I got entirely fed up of the situation and so I told my child (I am purposely not identifying whether my child is a male or female) that I will not be giving any more money to contribute towards any gala, hotdog sale, food sale or anything for the law department outside of materials for the courses. To my surprise, I came home that evening to see my child in tears because of ridicule that was faced in the class from the committee members for not paying the money requested.
The next morning that child refused to go to classes because of fear of not again being able to contribute. I subsequently called the law office four times to speak with the head of department on this issue and each time I was told that he was not available. But what has pushed me over the edge is that one of the committee members on Friday, while seeking volunteers to sell at the upcoming sale they have on Wednesday stood in front of the class and identified my child saying, “Peter (not real name) since you have not contributed any money or anything towards the sale, you will have to come sell the hotdogs.” This is utter nonsense!
My child has contributed on a number of occasions why now does that child have to be subjected to such insults? I refused to accept this. Yes, I admit that some persons can afford such contributions. But what do I do as a parent, take my child out of the law programme because I cannot afford to contribute towards a gala for judges and magistrates?
I am urging three things: a) the university administration should look into this ‘committee’; b) the HOD make himself available to meet with parents who need to discuss issues relating to the law programme; c) this ‘committee’ produce evidence of receipts it has given to students following their contributions along with the financial records of how they have spent the monies collected. On Monday, I along with two other parents will be seeking again to meet with the HOD for the law department to deal with this, what I refer to as ‘exploitation’ of parents.