Students from St. Francis School of Health Sciences, Namataba in Mukono district who missed out on Uganda Nurses and Midwives Examination Board-UNMEB cards stormed Namataba police station demanding reprimand of the school management for misdirecting them to apply for none-existing courses.
A total of twenty-three students claim that the school management convinced them to join the institute on half bursary claiming that they had partnered with Mulago School of Nursing and Midwifery where they had applied for a diploma course but failed to join because of failure to raise the required tuition only to realise after spending six months studying that the institute did not qualify to offer diplomas in Nursing and Midwifery.
Yesterday on Monday evening after spending almost a full day trying efforts to convince the management refund money paid to the institute in the space they have stayed at the institute and all went in vain, students opted to reach out to police to assist them talk to the administration consider their request or force them to formerly write to their parents explaining the matter.
However, Namataba Police Station Officer in Charge AIP Raymond Komakech declined to offer them any assistance directing them to court saying it is the only place where their matter can be handled.
“This is not a criminal case; therefore, you have wasted your time coming here. These are matters handled by the courts of laws and it is the right place to go.” AIP Komakech noted.
Precious Mwesigwa one of the affected students says they are currently stranded, at first they were asked by the administration to formally write requesting for refund which they but instead the fiancé department chased them away. Now police are referring them to resort to court process which also requires money.
Prillah Karungi appeals to the Ministry of Education together with the Uganda National Association of Student Nurses and Midwives leadership to intervene in their matter. She notes that the administration offered to them timetables for internal examinations yet they can’t present them anywhere.
UNMEB is the only body established in December 2005 by the Ministry of Education and Sports to streamline, regulate and also coordinate examinations and awards for nurses and midwives at both certificate and diploma levels in Uganda.
Another student, Maria Ayikoru says the institution has done enough to prove its untrustworthy making it hard for them trust their study environment anymore.
Despite of students paying Shillings 250, 000 to the institute bank account meant to be paid to UNMEB for the entire examination process, UNMEB declined to approve them saying their institution enrolled them before it was accredited to handle the course.
The institute management is still silent over the matter over the matter despite of the several approaches by the media for comments.
However, a copy of letter obtained by this website from the National Council for Higher Education signed by Dr Alex Kagume this year indicates that St. Francis was accredited to offer the course on April 14, despite of the fact that the institution embarked on the enrollment of students February.
The letter under section 119(A) of the University and other Tertiary Institutions Act 2001 forbids running of any academic program have been not accredited by NCHE.
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