Students meeting to decide

PAPUA NEW GUINEA – The Student Representative Council of the University of Papua New Guinea is to meet to decide whether to continue its boycott of classes after the University announced that lectures would resume.

The University’s Public Affairs Manager, James Robins said the academic year will be extended by three weeks until the November 5 to make up for the time lost to the students’ boycott.

He said there was no more room in the calendar to accomodate any further boycott of classes.

“ We will extend the academic year as much as we can with our current funding. We have negotiations going on now with government to see where we might get a new source of funding or an extension of funding.

“At this point in time we’re running on the smell of an oily rag,” he said.

Robins said the majority of students wanted to return to class.

“Those who are still here on campus, they tell you they are pleased they can go back to classes,” he said.

“Those students who left when they were requested to leave on May 24, many of those have been in contact with Student Services and indicated we want to come back, when can we start classes.”

One of the student leaders, Gerald Tulu Manu-Peni, said the University’s Student Representative Council would be meeting immediately to decide whether to resume the boycott.

“Today all the provincial leaders from all the regional groups will come and we will discuss the decision.

“The decision alone is a collective decision of each and every individual student.

“But in the best interests of all the students and the stakeholders of this institution it must be a win-win solution at the end,” Manu-Peni said.

“The prime minister has to step down.” - RNZI