There is a rift between final-year students and management of the School of Hygiene in Tamale over the non-payment of fees for the 2008/2009 academic year by the students.

In view of this, some students are alleged to have attempted to break into the dormitories to pack their belongings, because the management had prevented the affected students from gaining access to their respective dormitories when school re-opened.

It took the timely intervention of the police to bring the situation under control. The police also managed to prevail on the students to rescind their decision to embark on such illegal acts and rather make known their grievances.

The management, among other punitive measures, also prevented the students from writing their end-of-semester examinations and stopped processing forms for the payment of allowances to the affected students.

The Director of the school, Mr Philip Zori, told the Daily Graphic that the students who were expected to pay GH¢345 as their fees allegedly failed to do so, hence management's action.

According to him, the students were informed earlier through a letter, to pay their fees into the school's accounts at the Tamale branch of the National Investment Bank (NIB) on or before October 24, 2008.

Mr Zori said the continuous failure of students to pay their fees was affecting the smooth running of the school.

He noted that payment of allowances to students had delayed due to some problems, hence the management's decision that parents and guardians should assist in the payment of the school fees, particularly the feeding fee of GH¢200 per semester.

"I printed letters and carried them to the regional offices of health administration; majority of the students got the letters but they still failed to pay their fees," he stated.

As a result of the stringent measures put in place by the management, about 30 students had paid the fees.

The director further expressed regret that some of the students went to some FM stations in the metropolis and accused him of being unfair in his dealings with the students.

A final-year female student who pleaded anonymity said she was not aware of the said amount of fees they were required to pay and she had not received any letter from the school's management on the deadline for the payment of such fees.

She, however, admitted that some of her mates had refused to pay their feeding fees for the past one year.


Source: Daily Graphic