Tonota College of Education (TCE) students are boycotting classes accusing the school management for failing to address their grievances.
The students are pointing a blaming finger at the Dean of Students Affairs Lucy Keletso for being abusive, incompetent, intolerant and vindictive. Last week the students held peaceful demonstrations at the TCE campus calling for the Dean of Students affairs to be removed from the institution. TCE currently has close to 300 students.
In an interview with The Telegraph on Monday TCE Student Representative Council (SRC) President Thabang Thomas Kopelo said they no longer have trust in the Dean of Student Affairs as she has continuously failed to perform her duties. The students are complaining for amongst others, dilapidated accommodation facilities, poor meals, a dilapidated refectory and lack of resources such as Wi-Fi to aid their learning. The SRC President said the school tuition fee that is paid by students is not worth of the services they get from the institution.
“These problems have been persistent for some time. Apart from frustrating us as students she is incompetent in the execution of her duties. Under her leadership communication has been poor. We doubt that she will be of any help to us now,” he said.
“She is nearing two years in the institution and ever locked in her office. She does not interact with the students to discuss issues of mutual interest. We have complained about our hostels, refectory and academic issues to her office and the responses do not inspire confidence,” Kopelo added.
The students have since served a petition narrating their ordeal to the School Principal Master Baipidi and the Director of Teacher Training and Technical Educationunder the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology Matlhogonolo Mokakapadi. The Telegraph is in possession of the petition dated 23 of August 2022. The SRC President said they engaged the Director but were not happy with his responses. He said they are planning to appeal to the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology.
However in a telephone interview with the Telegraph on Monday the Dean of Students Affairs Keletso refused to comment.
For his part the TCE Principal Master Baipidi said on Monday in an interview that he is aware of the grievances raised by the students but said the Director of Teacher Training and Technical Education Mokakapadi addressed them on the 24th and 25th of August 2022.
“The two parties could not reach a solution but the Director has since given the students a green light to appeal their grievances to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry as it is in their right to do so. As much as we understand their concerns, what is very worrisome is that boycotting their lessons will affect their education progress,” he said. Efforts to contact the Director Mokakapadi failed as he was said to be busy attending meetings.
