Impact of Student Protests in Some Selected Universities in Africa

Abstract

“Previous studies have revealed that there has been a worldwide increase in the number of student protest activities such as petitions, demonstrations, riots, and boycotts. However, it appears studies on student protests in Africa have not paid specific attention to the effect that student protests have on the academic and administrative policies of universities. As such, this study sought to investigate the impact of student protests on both the academic and administrative policies in some selected universities in Africa. To achieve this, the study adopted the qualitative approach and specifically the multiple case study approach to select some universities in Africa. The primary data included interviews with former student leaders and Dean of Students as well as newspaper reports of student reports. The analysis of the data revealed that a primary cause of student protests is the undermining of student involvement in the decision-making process by university management. Others include the excessive increase in tuition fees and student maltreatment by the security personnel. Student protests were found to have a substantial effect on administrative policies resulting in changes in policies in universities like KNUST and U.E.W., where there were reforms in the security apparatus. In South Africa, the effect was even more significant as the campaign attained a national character and resulted in changes in country-wide educational policies like zero increase in tuition fees. On academic policies, it was revealed that student protests mostly distort the academic calendar, which presents enormous challenges to academic delivery. The study recommends that student protests can be minimised if university management effectively involves students in the decision-making process and dialogue with students when tensions brew in the student body.”