Parents turned away as NUR changes graduation system

ANOTHER graduation. Another time to celebrate. Another time to hug and be hugged. Another time for the graduates to host their parents to the awarding ceremony before hosting family and friends to a party. This is the mood that has come to characterise university graduations over the years. But this year there was something unusual as 3,200 students graduated at the National University of Rwanda in Huye last week.A graduand had to choose between two parents to attend the graduation ceremony. The surprise left many a parent disappointed.“I was here last year with my husband to attend the graduation of our other child...this time I was locked out......I think it is unfair; this to me is like being locked out of your own child’s wedding,” says Alphonsine Nyiramana a parent from Kamonyi district.Nyiramana had to forego the opportunity of witnessing her son being conferred to let her husband be with him, as only one person was permitted to enter with the graduand. It was a common experience for many parents. “When I reached here, I was told that only one person is allowed to enter with the graduand. We had to chose between me and my wife; I mean, how could someone be refused to attend your own child’s graduation?” asked Emmanuel Murenzi, who together with his wife had travelled two hours from Kigali to be with their son on the ‘big day.’Murenzi narrated that when they got to the entrance of the venue, they were told that the invitation was strictly for two persons-the graduate and one guest of their choice.“I let my wife attend,” Murenzi said.University speaks out However, the university administration has defended this move. According to officials, the new changes including graduation by faculty level, was dictated by the need to cut down on the costs of bigger events which were held in the past.“Graduation ceremonies were getting very large and taking a lot of time, that we needed to find another way of celebrating,” Prof Silas Lwakabamba, NUR Rector, explained at the launch of graduation last Tuesday. Bonfils Safari, the Director of Quality at the university, echoed similar views. He said it was done to cut costs. However, when asked how much was saved in the process, he said an evaluation is yet to be carried out.“At the moment we cannot say how much was saved, but what I can assure you is that money was saved under this arrangement,” he said. A graduation is an academic ceremony, not a public one, Safari further observed.Graduates expressed disappointment and that the new measures were an inconvenience. Some said they decided not to go for the graduation, saying it was unceremonious.“I wanted to graduate in presence of my mother and relatives, take photos with them as well as my former class mates or other graduates who have graduated. But with all this not being possible, I decided not to go for the event,” said a graduate who identified himself as Musabimana.This time round the mood at the university was not quite as cheerful and the activities in town did not match previous graduation ceremonies in the past.This year, the biggest and oldest university decided to confer degrees in series over four days. Over 3,000 students were awarded degrees and certificates in various disciplines.