The penultimate students of Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba Akoko, Ondo State who participated in the 2020/2021 Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) have reacted to the recent statement by the management which stated that they should submit their report latest by January 3, while the defence will be conducted by January 9-16.
The students who participated included those from the Faculty of Science, Management Science, Social Science, and 400l level students of the Faculty of Agriculture.
Earlier, the school management had released the academic calendar after the industrial strike was called off on October 14 for the second semester to commence on October 16 and end on February 4.
Also, the SIWES students are ordered to resume after the second-semester examination, to start the new session which was the normal practice to do their defence earlier in the first semester.
As against the expected resumption date, the management in the new circular noted that the SIWES students should resume and submit their report, also prepare for defence, otherwise the repetition of the SIWES program.
The statement partly reads, “Submission of Log book and Student Report Date: Between Tuesday 3rd and Friday 6th January 2023.
“Defence and Oral Presentation. Date: Between Monday 9th and Friday 14th January 2023. (Time table will be made available a week before the commencement). Failure to comply with the above arrangements implies that you will not be able to participate hence the repetition of the SIWES programme.
“I sincerely congratulate you all for the successful completion of the exercise and wish you all the best in your academic activities in the next academic session.”
In reaction to the school authority, the students lamented the sudden change made by the authority and urged the management to make a little bit of an extension.
While the majority of the students complained about the difficulties this will cause them, and few of the SIWES students noted that it is a good development.
A student of Mass Communication, Tamaruemi Peter, who bemoaned over the action of the management noted that it has disrupted his schedule as there’s no time for proper preparation for defence.
Peter added that his expectation was to resume by February after the second-semester examination as the norm for all SIWES students, not until he came across the circular.
He said, “I feel devastated because it came suddenly. There is little or no time for preparation as we are still in the season of festivities.
“I was expecting the SIWES defence to come up after the 2023 general election. Having the foresight of that, preparations would be in a gradual process.”
Speaking further, he noted that it will affect him academically because he is not prepared financially because of his school fees and other fees he will spend upon resumption.
He thereby urged the management to shift the SIWES Defence to February after the election.
Also, a student of Animal and Environmental Biology, Busari Kehinde Aminah said the management should consider those that are far away, adding that she was sad when she saw the sudden statement.
“The management should consider those that are far away and don’t have means of getting back to school till the next session. I felt bad when I saw it, normally presentation is not done at the same level,” she said
Moreso, a student of Plant Science and Biology, who pleaded anonymity noted that it is a good development, adding that the management is helping the students. He stated that the defence ought to be done as the management wants to do.
He said, “Immediately after the defense we will be resuming for a fresh session, nothing like SIWES ‘defense in the new session. Then we can face our project seminar properly”.
However, a student of Animal and Environmental Biology, Owolabi Busayo said the duration is not much and the management would have informed them before time, adding that it has been a proper practice to resume school next session after the Industrial Training.
Miss Owolabi noted that it will affect her financially and all her plans would be disrupted.
Also, a student of Plant Science and Biotechnology noted that, “No doubt it came as a shock to every SIWES student because we were expecting the submission of our log book and report to be after the second-semester exam.
“Something like this should have been communicated to us almost immediately when the school released the semester’s calendar.”
He thereby beseeches the management to postpone the submission to a better date that befits the SIWES students.
While giving her own opinion, a student of criminology, Adeniyi Feyintola noted that since the students have been supervised, there shouldn’t be anything hindering them from resuming.
She said, “I believe anything a student wants to plan his school plan should be his primary plan.”
Also, an anonymous student of the mathematics department noted that the management has done the right thing just to make everything fair for the students.
Oladokun Muinat, a student of Mass Communication said, “It’s too sudden, we are not prepared at all, besides the election is almost here, and some of us will be travelling to school for a very far distance. We will surely go home after the defense because of the election, we can’t be travelling like that in the situation of this country now o.
Besides, going by protocols and how it has always been done, we are supposed to defend by the beginning of the new session, so why is our own different, what exactly is their motive?”
She noted that she’s just making preparations for the payment of her school fees and which she’s not sure can be gotten by January.
A student of criminology, Mujeedah said, “It doesn’t make sense, that I was thinking we are resuming after the election but my planned is disrupted and financially, I don’t have any plans”.
Similarly, Abdulaziz Abdulafeed, a student of Planting and Environmental Biology, said, “Firstly, based on the circular released, it is written that we are resuming to do our presentation which I deem it fine. It is good to do that earlier prior to our resumption when everything will be helter-skelter.”
Secondly, on resumption, I think the school does not mean resumption to 400l (new academic session), what they mean is resumption to do our presentation in order to end the 2020/2021 academic session. I think if the school could let us resume, do our presentation and start a new session immediately it would be a better and more beneficial opinion due to the time that has been wasted.
“With these, I will conclude that a resume to do a presentation would be better while a resume to do a presentation and resume the new academic session (as new 400l) immediately (in January) would be the best”.
Author
Adedokun Boluwatife an undergraduate of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba akoko is A writer, a campus journalist. she’s passionate concerned about influencing the world positively with the power of pen.