Chanco students angry over readmission forms

Students Union of Chancellor College (SUCC) have expressed anger over readmission forms released by the college management outlining conditions students have to agree to in order to register when the college reopens.

A form which is circulating on social media requires students to accept responsibility for the July anti-fee hike demonstrations and make a promise to abide by the underscored rules. The administration also demand every student to pay K1500 for the damage caused during the fracas.

The students have been told to sign the forms by 9th September.

But in reaction, SUCC says it finds the forms oppressive and inconsiderate. As such it has asked the Chirunga intelligentsia to ignore the forms until the outcome of the talk its members are going to engage in with the administration.

“Having seriously considered the foregoing observations, we find the college conduct to be inspired by bad faith and ill motive against Chanco students, and deliberately calculated to strangulate our political spirit of unionism.

“SUCC take the firm resolution that, as a union, we will not fill in and submit the forms, nor pay the money demanded, but will report to school for classes as scheduled,” reads part of the memo from SUCC.

The institution was closed on 20th July after students held two days of demonstrations against a fee hike which was effected amidst Malawi’s economic turmoil.

It was a dramatic two days of running battles involving students and police who set residential halls on fire.

According to the administration, submission of fully filled forms on provision of evidence of the K1500 payment will get students registered, a development which students find ridiculous as they never withdrew from the college for this semester.

Chanco is expected to open its doors on 12th September after close to two months of closure. The protests that led to the closure of the college however yielded little as fees was only reduced by K50,000, having skyrocketed to K450,000 from K55,000, K250 000, and K275 000 for different categories of students.