GIJ gives students who failed to register 5 days to do so

The management of the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) has granted amnesty to all students who failed to register for the 2020/2021 academic year on time and an opportunity for them to write the end-of-semester examinations.

Management on Tuesday, March 23 directed students who registered late for the year to defer their programmes, a decision which sparked student protests on Wednesday, March 24.

But some leaders of the students dialogued with management led by the Rector and Deputy Rector at a meeting same day.

Management assured the student leaders of going back to the Executive Management with whom the decision on the directive was taken.

A press release issued on Thursday, March 25 by the Rector, Professor Kwamena Kwansah Aiddo, said: “Management of the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) has magnanimously granted all students who failed to register for the first semester of the 2020/2021 academic year an opportunity to register and write their end of semester exams instead of deferring their programmes”.

It said the decision was based on a petition received from student leaders and the engagement with the said students

The student leaders had rendered an unqualified apology on behalf of demonstrating students, whom management accused of issuing “threats, untruths and insults against management”.

In granting the amnesty, management says affected students should immediately produce receipts at the Academic Affairs registry to complete their registration processes.

“This opportunity to register shall expire in five (5) working days from today, on Thursday, 1April 2021,” the press release said.

“Any other student who has a special case should contact the Registrar’s office to avail themselves of any opportunities available for students with exceptional circumstances or difficulties.”

As a result of the latest development, the end-of-semester examinations, which were scheduled to start on Monday, March 29, have been rescheduled to Tuesday, April 6.

A new timetable is expected to be released to that effect.

But management insists that the Institute “shall religiously enforce its registration policies at the beginning of the next academic year”.