Students of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Oyo State, have threatened to publicly protest continuous extortions by lecturers as well as the recurrent mass failures typifying their examinations, saying their future was hanging in the balance.

A source told newsmen that the students are from the Urban and Regional Planning Department.

Through their association, the aggrieved students this week raised a petition to the school management to look into the anomalies of their lecturers and take action, otherwise they would lead a public protest.

In a copy of their petition titled, “Lamentations of the Urban and Regional Planning Students,” the students decried the harsh learning conditions in the department and the resultant mass failure and extra academic years that students suffered

They said the situation had persisted over years.

The petition reads, “It is with a heavy heart that we write to bring to your notice the prevailing stress and pains we are going through in our department. We are quite aware of the essence of education which is to teach, train and learn so as to improve knowledge and develop skills, towards the reality of life.

“This is a natural process that identifies, harnesses and unfolds potentials, abilities and capacities. But wherever there is naturalness, there is little or no stress, only simplicity and happiness abound – simple understanding of the course studied and the joy that inevitably flows along, inspiring and strengthening the students as they strive towards the perfection of this course.

“But with us, things are absolutely different. The natural joy from learning has turned into abject torment. Only despair and regret fill our hearts. This is as a result of the following:

“One, our semester designs are quite tedious and unending; extortion of students on semester designs – too many expenses for designs; engaging students in outrageous landscape planning projects.

“Also, mass failure in at least a course every year – especially urban design, urban management, master plan and urban renewal; the assumption of extra-year into a norm in the department.

“As a result of the aforementioned issues, some students have decided to drop out, even in the final year and there is a drastic decrease in the number of incoming students every year. It is in this grievance that we write to call for your intervention lest we hold a protest.”

TodayNG