THE NEED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE; HoDs MUST GET TIME

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There are a lot of stories we've heard about lectures discouraging, not supporting or giving their best to help their students making it difficult for students to even approach them. Isn’t this assertion true? We thought we were far from this until recently after a 3rd year English student nearly dropped out of school, after trying all possible means to get her HOD's signature on her scholarship forms. Just a signature? Getting an audience has become an issue? How do they expect students to go through such hardships and hide and seek games and also low prioritizing?


Listen to this story, a lady in a department in the largest faculty in KNUST approached her Head of Department to get her signature on her scholarship forms in order to secure her spot but her efforts were to no avail, as she was told by the Secretary to the HOD that she was busy and has to come later.

She decided to wait due to the deadline in few hours. And to her ultimate surprise the busy HOD had time to chat heartily with lectures but had no time to pen down her signature on a scholarship forms. How sad!


She sat and watched as the deadline drew closer and closer till it was due. Her opportunity of getting financial aid flashed before her eyes, but she couldn't do anything. And I strongly believe she's not the only victim here, although in her case she've been able to hang on with her education. You may say she wasn't serious to wait till the last hour. But I bet you she did not start the process at the last hour. 


Many of these scholarships require a lot of information and still provide short period for submission, and publicity isn't effective. I don't blame the various philanthropists, we the students are the cause. When scholarships, bursaries and aid trusts are open for application, we get a lot of able students who do not face any challenges in schooling competing with needy students for the few slots. And last among these process is the signature of HOD's. Some try their possible best to get it signed but to no avail.  Some students are being told they are done signing and a whole lot. Which really affect these  students academically, physically, mentally and emotionally. And those who can't get anyone have to leave.


What of those who have 2 to 3 jobs while in school and during vacations because of a single signature? How many will we continue to watch drop out of school because of these little things? Is there not a need to make a difference? And can't we be the difference?


   

My name is Ntiriwaa Dorothy and I am never too busy to "stop and smell the roses".

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