Students protest outside a local private university

KUWAIT: Around 20 to 30 students from a local private university held a protest, approved by the university administration, in front of the main campus yesterday. The students were demonstrating to protest a litany of issues including what they claim are wrongful expulsions of students, unfair English tests and other school practices.

Organized by the 'Al-Qaemah Al-Mustaqlah' student council, the demonstrating students argued that university fees were too high, that the administration has canceled subjects and even expelled students unfairly and without reason.

Persecuted

"Our members found themselves persecuted by the university's administration, and many students were expelled in one year," noted Ltifa Al-Ajmi, student and member of Al-Qaemah Al-Mustaqlah. She added that the administration had expelled some students without warning or disciplinary hearings. "They expelled one male student in our Student Council because he sent a WhatsApp message to a girl. Also, a female student was expelled because she wrote about the university in a Twitter comment. And they have to right of what is going on through the social media." She also noted that the administration refused to grant approval for expat students applying for drivers' licenses unless they have high grades.

Among the main complaints were objections to a university-required English language test, EL097. Asmaa' Al-Enzi said that more than 500 students failed the EL097 exam and the council was asking for a regarding of the exam.

"Because of the EL097 and not enough subjects in the summer semester, as well as a shortage of teaching staff, some students need five to seven years to [get all the required classes] to graduate," she noted.

About the issue of part-time professors, Enzi said "Some part-time professors have no office hours and when we tried to reach them via mms, they do not respond even during an exam period."

Another student, Mohammad Al-Shammari told Kuwait Times that Al-Qaemah Al-Mustaqlah gathered the students to protest against the arbitrary decisions of the administration represented by Rector of the University Naif Al-Mutairi. Shammari vowed that this protest will be the beginning and after that the students will protest in front of the National Assembly and the Ministry of Education.

Within the law

Ghazi Al-Enzi, head of Public Relations at the university listened to the demands of the students but noted that the university operates within the law established for private universities in Kuwait.

"We wish we could implement all the demands of the students, but there are laws and regulations within the framework of the State, Private Universities Council and the British Accreditation Commission, which is a partner that we must abide by," he explained.

Regarding the expelled students, Enzi rejected the students' claims of wrongful expulsions. "We are not living in a forest, there are rules and laws. A student will not be expelled without warning or a reason," he said. He also said that the English test was necessary to ensure that students met the needed fluency in the language as a required part of the curriculum.

By Faten Omar