The modular system of education now in operation at the Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM) has affected most students; especially second year students in the Accounting and Financial Department.
It was Njala University which started the modular system, to be followed by Fourah Bay College (FBC), in 2001/2002. IPAM only started this system a year ago. FBC saw hell when they started this system as students’ results were normally not complete as it caused the re-opening of College to delay; but conditions improved later when students were given transcripts to cross check their results.
Students at IPAM are also facing similar problems as most of them have still not verified their results to know their status; that is to either proceed to the following year or to repeat. That is the present situation at the College, which was known to be the first to be in full session after every semester or academic year.
The most affected are the second year Applied Accounting students in the Accounting and Finance Department, whose second semester Auditing module has serious problems. According to some students offering that module, who preferred to be anonymous, “over 90% of them failed that module; and because of that, they do not know their fate, either to proceed to year three (3) General or the honors class or repeat”.
The students explained that to be invited to the honours class, they must score 3.0 and 2.8 to the General class: but should they have 3.0 but was referred in any module, they automatically go to the general class.
In another case, the affected students continued, some of them scored 3.0 but because they failed one subject, they are barred to proceed even to the general class.
They say they are running out of patience and a notice from the College Administration seen by Awoko states that; year two students with 3.0 should proceed to year three with the exception of the Audit module until further notice when decision would be taken on the awaited results. The fear of the students is that, should they proceed to the following year and later a decision taken on the awaited Auditing results it might affect them seriously.
They alleged that the system used to compute the results was confusing to them as their grades are also misplaced.
The students are also confused as to whether the Auditing paper has been second marked or not, as they requested, since the authorities continue telling them to wait.
The Exams Officer at IPAM, Mc Ewen declined giving an interview to Awoko on the issue, stating he had to seek permission from higher authorities.
He however accepted some problems in the results but said they were working very hard to release the final results.
The Student Union President, David Mendegeleh said they were trying hard to negotiate with the University Authorities, as the College Director has accepted to take into account the sessional grade points of the students.
By Ishmael Bayoh