Students of the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), Isolo campus, have lamented how the institution’s lack of hostels on campus is affecting their finances and studies.
They also complained about the irregularity of lectures for months after resumption, as well as what they called irrelevant rules they have to obey.
The polytechnic, like other Lagos State-owned tertiary institutions, does not have hostels on campuses – though the government has started building an 8,000-bed hostel at the Lagos State University (LASU).
The LASPOTECH Isolo campus has both part-time and full-time students. The full time programme however has only two departments (Office Technology Management and Accounting); the rest are at the institution’s main campus in Ikorodu.
Presently, the full-time students in National Diploma [ND] 1; Higher National Diploma [HND] I and HND II classes are wrapping up their first semester examinations while ND II students are scheduled to begin their examinations on August 23.
The part- time students on the other hand, are in their second semester which is scheduled to end next month according to the institution’s academic calendar. However, they are bearing the brunt of the ongoing examinations which they lamented had affected their classes. They said their classes have not been regular despite resuming over five weeks ago.
Nevertheless they are scheduled to write their examination next month. Besides selling of text books, the part-time students said little is going on. As a result, they have been reluctant about coming to school. They said they come anytime they feel like.
“Lecturers have not been coming for classes, most of us just come to take attendance and go,” said two part-time students of Mass Communication who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity.
Out of about 350 students in the class, the duo said only a few attend lectures – which they said was a disservice to students who cannot comprehend just by studying on their own.
“As for both of us, we understand better when they teach us. What helps us most is the night class tutorials we attend before the exams. We pay for those classes, at least N300. But it still better than failing and getting carry overs,” they said.
While part-time students worry about irregular classes, the full-time students are concerned about the high cost of rent in the Isolo area.
“There is no hostel inside this school – maybe because the space is not big enough – but it has forced most of us to rent lodges outside the school. And these lodges are not small money – over N100,000 depending on the size of the lodge,” said a student who simply called herself Shola.
Another student, Mariam, said with no hostels on campus, the students are dispersed all over the community making it hard to come together to study outside the campus.
The students also lamented the financial burden that followed the attendant increase in the price of foodstuffs, electricity bill and water. They said that if the school had hostels, they would not have to spend a lot on transportation.
“All these are finishing our money,” they said. Shola added: “If only this school can build hostels for students within the campus, it can help to reduce most of these financial problems.”
She is, however, optimistic that things would change once the remaining full-time departments are moved to the Ikorodu campus.
“We have hope since they are planning to move the last two full-time departments to the main campus at Ikorodu”.
For the part-time students who are not leaving Isolo campus anytime soon, they would have to contend with rules that they deem irrelevant.
The rules include: “No face cap, no shades, no ripped jeans, no sleeveless, no dreads for male students “ –which are considered as “normal clothing” by students in a campus setting.
They said that due to these new rules, their normal way of dressing changed, they now repeat clothes or buy more when not necessary.
However, Mariam and Shola do not think the rules are irrelevant. They both appreciated the school for its cleanliness and dedicated lecturers.
“The rules help to curb sexual harassment and indecent dressing. Face caps and shades can be used to conduct malpractice; and is a sign of disrespect to the school area,” they said. They both appreciated the school for its cleanliness and dedicated lecturers. Unlike the part timers, they also received lectures very often.
When asked about the lack of hostels, the Head of the institution’s Public Relations unit, Mr. Olarewaju Kuye, said: “Hostel is a government policy. But the plan to build is on for Ikorodu (campus),” he said.
Regarding the irregular lectures for part-time students, Kuye said they were yet to fully resume.
“For part-time students, they are yet to fully resume for second semester. It was not quite long they finished first semester exams,” she said.