MUST Education Interns Teach on Empty Stomachs Over Delayed Release of Internship Allowances

As all public institutions are still grappling with financial constraints caused by the quarterly release of funds, several students’ associations are finding challenges in executing their duties due to the delay in the release of university funds.

As Campus Bee reports now, a section of students at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) are planning to hold a strike originating from the financial challenges they’re facing at their respective internship places.

For over a month now, third year students from the Faculty of science went for the mandatory school practice in different schools across the country. However, it is said that these students are entitled to internship facilitation (allowances) but up to now they haven’t received any single coin on their accounts.

Nalughoda Musa, one of the student leaders at the Faculty of science told campus bee that his fellow students are facing financial challenges from the different schools as a result of not getting their entitled allowances.

‘’We were sent to schools all over the country on 31/01/2022 to do the school practice training, we were convinced that materials, that’s lesson plan books, files, manila papers etc and facilitation will find us in the field as we do the practice. Materials were delivered in the third week of practice but to our disappointment, facilitation has not up to now come and many of us are stranded in areas of placement,’’ he revealed.

‘’Our mattresses, and bags are being confiscated in areas of placement because of failure to pay rent which is really a bad gesture. As students we have been patient but our limit of patience has reached, we’re dying in hostels because the money that was meant to sustain us for the whole semester was spent in School Practice for those who had it and some of us are back in Hostels near campus starving,’’ Musa adds.

In response to the students’ cry, Dr. Julius Lejju, the Dean faculty of science said that they’re continuously engaging the university administration on the issue but all public universities are facing the same issue.

‘’I have been engaging the university secretary and bursar regarding the SP facilitation and they’re also trying their best to engage the government to release the funds. However, the government has not given the exact date of releasing the money. It’s a national issue even Makerere, Kabale, Gulu, Busitema and all other public universities are experiencing the same problem,’’ Dr Julius replied.

All interns from the faculty of science are entitled to receive UGX 400,000 and UGX 300,000 for government and private sponsored students respectively.