Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) is at play again.
GIJ is one of the best Communications institutions in Africa and the world at large. It has the best, brilliant and experienced men and women for lecturers and the finest for a Rector but I guess the era of authoritarianism, where a group of people take decisions and it's supposed to be binding on all others whether they are wrong or right, has just begun.
Ghana Institute of Journalism reopened in October after several failed attempts to catch the actual reopening date which was scheduled in September.
This was due to some developmental projects the management of the institute was undertaking on campus. Obviously, those in charge of administering the affairs of the school failed to communicate the undergoing projects to the students; at least for them to be aware of the reasons for the postponement of the reopening date.
Different dates were given to the students which became very frustrating at times because some had clearly prepared themselves to resume school. I’m talking about those at remote areas and also those not coming from Greater Accra Region where the institute resides.
I believe the authorities failed again and again to realize the difficulties, hustle and bustle that the “remote students” would have to go through to cancel their appointments and hostel accommodations just to make it on the final date for reopening.
The next minute school reopens, students were invited to a new modern way of advancing technology on campus – online registration – this is supposed to be a good initiative but wait till you begin to wonder what exactly the IT guys were doing since the postponement of the reopening date from September to October.
An online registration means the students are to log on to the school’s website, find a new tab, click and register their fees online. Simple! No! This is not simple by GIJ standards.
Tell me how simple it is to log on to the GIJ online registration and enter your username and password given by the school authorities only to find out that the creators of the online registration process failed to do due diligence. So, the system would not allow any student to register online.
Tell me how simple it is to surf the internet in hope of registering your fees online only to find out that the creators had got it all messed up. None of the students on campus could register online.
Those who were able to get the system to register them were told to re-register because the amounts they paid at the banks had not reflected in the system; hence they were considered unregistered via the online registration process.
Tell me how simple it is for those who have made mistakes to blame their own mistakes on innocent students.
GIJ teaches students to conduct intensive research as journalists, communicators or Public Relations practitioners.
I remember before I graduated from the institute, I was taught different ways of conducting research. One way is having a focus group discussion, participatory observation or pilot-testing among others.
My question is did the authorities of the institute know this before running the online registration on a mass scale? What method did they use to justify the online registration before forcing it down the throat of the students?
Analyzing the issues, I strongly believe they forgot their own doctrines. Because if they didn't, then how come several students are found stranded on campus during their exams this year?
Some students, who until the examination week thought they had paid their school fees in full and successfully registered online, having their receipts as proof; were not provided desks to write their exams. In other words, they are told by the authorities whose fault it is that they haven’t paid 60 per cent of the fees to qualify to write the exams.
This is their life for Christ sake! Your mistakes shouldn't affect them.
I admit some students might not have paid 60 per cent of the fees or paid their fees in full and so, may have flouted the rules to write their exams. But what about those who genuinely paid their fees, registered online and still had to be lumped together with those who have not met the necessary requirements and put through hell?
It’s about time the authorities are held responsible for their mistakes. No student deserve to be ”punished” because the authorities failed to make the online registration useful.
In an interview with some students on campus, I realized they had to show their receipts to the Accounts office even when they register online. Until I graduated from GIJ, I thought they were the best in Communication but I guess if GIJ were a student, he would not make the 80% grade point by the school.
How did they expect the students to have come back to the Accounts office when all they heard was to register online and you’re good to go? Is this effective communication?
You tell your students to register online and leave out the part where they must return their receipts to the Accounts office, making it seem that once you register online; there is no other problem.
And yet they observe the instructions given only to find their desk missing in the examination halls and then told they should bring their receipts to the office for crosschecking before they’re permitted to write their exams. This is indeed effective communication!
On the flipside, I’d like to digress and talk about how shameful it is for a school like GIJ to admit hundreds of students and have just – I stress just – 5 students to graduate with first class.
Does it mean the students are lazy to study or the lecturers are rather not doing their best to help the students get high academic distinctions? How come just 5 people could graduate with first class honors while the rest complete with second class upper, second class lower and third class degrees?
It’s alright to blame your students for underperformance. It’s okay to blame them for not studying hard to make the mark. But you obviously cannot leave yourself out when only 5 students make first class.
The first time I heard the last year batch who graduated in November this year had only 5 first class graduates; my heart jumped because this is my alma mater. I can’t fathom why hundreds of students would pursue their degree studies for either four or two years (Top-up) only for 5 to complete with first class.
Is this an X-factor show? Is it Mentor 6? Is it a music reality show?
In as much as you expect the students to be ashamed of themselves for underperforming, the authorities (in this case the Rector of the institute) should equally feel ashamed and not glorify themselves in the underperformance rate of the students.
Will it not be all joy and make more sense to find more people make first class at GIJ? In fact, what does one gain from failing students when indeed they deserve to pass?
Based on a hearsay (which someone will have the right say there is no truth), there was a cut in the student’s grades in some subjects because they had distinctions (nothing less than 80% mark) in those subjects. The reason given was that the students had excelled beyond recognition in those subjects and so, it breeds suspicion.
Based on hearsay, there was a 10% cut or a reduction in the marks in those subjects for no justifiable reason and this had a deep negative toll on the grades that the students made in the exams. This action affected the students’ ability to graduate from GIJ magna cum laude.
Considering these assertions are false, let the administration come out with the truth. Until then, I stand on the grounds of hearsay. There’s an element of truth in every cloud of rumor.
It’s okay to say I’m not being fair to the authorities. My question is have they been fair to the students?
It would also be true to think that the five “first class” graduates were exceptionally brilliant. No doubt! But that doesn’t cancel out the fact that the number could have increased because per simple analogy, there surely would be other exceptionally brilliant people who should have made first class too.
Why am I being fussed about this “first class” issue?
I know “first class” or “third class” doesn’t define the destiny of a person; however it really does make one proud to graduate with first class degree. Think about it!
I can’t shut down my laptop to catch some sleep without talking about the Students Representative Council (SRC) of GIJ.
The Council members were voted by the students to represent their interest. Nonetheless, GIJ-SRC is full of executives who cannot just fight for the interest of the students. They cowardly bootlick to the school administration.
It is very well understandable why they would not be bold to ensure that the right thing is done for the students at all cost. They don’t want to end up on the wrong side of the authorities because they themselves are students whose grades are equally important like any other student on campus.
Didn’t they know this before putting themselves up for election into the Council?
Where was the Council when students’ grades were reduced because management was suspicious of attempts by lecturers to pass their students? How shameful it is to suggest that your students should fail all because they have done too well in their exams.
Where is the SRC when students are complaining bitterly about being mistreated on campus? Where is the SRC when lots of students are halted for about an hour because authorities failed to account for those who have paid their fees and those who have not?
The SRC should wake up and defend the interest of the students.
Before I conclude, I would like to however commend the Rector of GIJ, Dr. Wilberforce Dzisah and his management team for erecting such wonderful edifice on campus. For years, GIJ students have awaited the completion of their new site at Okponglo because the old site of the institute is too small to accommodate them. The new blocks on campus were built from the school’s internally-generated funds. Bravo, Mr. Dzisah and his management team for expanding the blocks on campus.
At this point, allow me to conclude this write-up by revealing my identity to my readers.
I am an alumna of Ghana Institute of Journalism and graduated five years ago. So, in case the authorities pounce upon this article and decide to undertake some cleaning exercise in someone’s grades as they are noted for, they should bear in mind the writer graduated long time ago.
Per article 7 of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) code of ethics, “Journalists are bound to protect confidential sources of information”. I therefore protect mine.
To those who are grateful for this article, I say “Merry Xmas in advance”. To those school authorities who are by now searching for my files to uncover my identity; I borrow the words of Adom TV and Asempa FM's Songo's catchphrase, "fire burn you" all in a professional way.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
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