Dubai Women’s College (DWC) has refused to accept any further ‘withdrawal requests’ from Emirati students who have decided to quit citing lack of transportation facilities to the college.
The college management said it had refused to sign on any further applications of students wanting to drop out as its private bus operator had hiked fees drastically from the new academic session. The college is now hoping to convince the operator to restrict its increase to about 30 per cent.
Dr Howard Reed, director of DWC, told Khaleej Times, “There have been few more withdrawal requests from students but we have stopped accepting any of them because of transportation problems. We do not want to lose any more of our students and we have talked to them so they don’t make any decisions they are sorry about.”
Khaleej Times had reported this Monday that at least half a dozen students had dropped out of the college, with many others also contemplating to quit following the decision by the Emirates Transport — the college’s outsourced bus service, to hike fees by 400 per cent — from Dh300 to Dh1,200.
Since college resumed on August 31, the 22 buses had stopped picking up students, causing much inconvenience to the 700 students relying on them to reach college everyday.
Though a couple of them began operating on Tuesday, the services were reportedly erratic and most of thr students were unaware of the resumption of services.
The director said that attendance had improved following talks with students and most of them were
being dropped and picked up by their families presently.
“It is mostly tardiness but we do not have many no-shows and most of them are trying to get to college,” Dr Reed said, adding: “Strict attendance is expected out of DWC students
and if they lose more than 10 per cent
attendance in any subject, they could
be dismissed.”
Local women, studying in the government college — a part of the Higher Colleges of Technology where tuition is free — objected to the sudden increase, labelling it unaffordable. College authorities, upset by Emirates Transport’s move, have sought a meeting with the company to roll back the increase.
“This is a sudden increase and it is way too expensive. A small increase, like of Dh50, is acceptable but definitely not something so huge.
“My parents are also upset at
this move of the transport company. If it’s not revised, I would seriously
consider changing college,” a student earlier said.
The college is now hoping to set up a meeting with the company and convince them to go for an affordable hike lowering the current increase. “A 30 per cent increase in transport fee is fair,” said the college director.
Preeti Kannan