[Paul Lismore] Amity (Mauritius): where they force you to pay for something that they themselves cancelled...

Vreman ena bez dan sa ggt pays la! Nothing, absolutely nothing ever surprises me anymore. If you tell me that an idiot like Jagutpal is our Minister of Health, I would reply that in the context of the abysmal maladministration that has characterised Mauritian governments since independence, I am only surprised that they have not made him Prime Minister yet....

We all know about our wonderful Minister of Education and how our universities are now ranked 89th in the list of African universities; when we look at Leela Zamai li la and the large number of absolute idiots who have been promoted to the high positions that their own dogs are better qualified for, one is bound to ask: are we really that surprised? Our hearts must go out to the thousands of young people who see a university degree as a route to a better life as an adult, but whose ambitions and youthful enterprise remain stifled by the many arseholes "teaching" them...

Yesterday, around 30 students who have worked hard at Amity over the last 3 or 4 years and passed their final exams were informed by email that the "graduation ceremony of November 2021 has been cancelled. Note: CANCELLED! Not postponed....

But here is the bit that should stick in your throat like a bit of margoz bien amer ki pa p rode desann: " As per Amity Rules and Regulations, I invite you to settle the fixed cost graduation expenses(MUR 2500) in CASH on campus by November 25th...We will be issuing the certificates from 29th November, by appointment"....i.e. si pa payer, certificate naiba!

So, the points to retain from this badly written piece of nonsense are:

1/ Because of Covid, Amity cancels the graduation ceremony, which is understandable.
2/ Despite being now unable to attend the graduation ceremony that many were looking forward to, students are being forced to hand over Rs 2500 IN CASH for a ceremony that will not take place! To use an expression popular with a zourlanus at le mauricien, this sounds like Daylight Robbery...
3/ What is the Rs 2500 for? Expenses for a graduation ceremony that has been cancelled ? Eoula! Kouma dire p invite dimoune vine dan chawtari et kan cancel li, charge sak invite pou sak boutte poisson/la viande ki zot ti pou manze!
4/ Maybe the certificates have been printed in gold letters to justify charging students that amount of money...In any case, the cost of certificates is already included in the high tuition fees...
5/ What about the foreign students? Do they go back to India, Africa etc without any photos of them looking happy in their robes and hats to show their parents?

Logic tells you that a decent university would either have postponed the ceremony because of Covid and hold it as soon as possible when the health emergency has passed. Failing that, what is so difficult about the uni asking students to come in small batches, lend them a robe and hat, and have their photos taken with the big knob at the uni when he hands over their certificates?

I am told that other universities are doing precisely that and will hold their graduation ceremonies at a later date. Amity apparently knows better. It wants Rs 2500 per student for a ceremony that has been cancelled through no fault of their own. Am not surprised really. Look at the letters after the name of the Vice Chancellor. Most of us have never heard of them. Perhaps this stupid decision to charge students for something that will not take place suggests that another list of letters should have been added to his name: B.O.B.O.K.