Come on board, UCT urges parents

The Parents' Orientation events are meant to assure parents and care-givers that their children will be in good hands at UCT.

All ears: Carl Herman, director of UCT's Admissions Office, addressed hundreds of out-of-town parents at this year's Parents' Orientation.	Attentive: Throngs attended Parents' Orientations.

This assurance carries more weight when it comes from a senior student like Mike Ramothwala, Students' Representative Council (vice-president: external). Ramothwala was addressing this year's event for out-of-town parents on 31 January. (The first Parents' Orientation, for local parents, was held on 28 January.)

"Students from other universities often ask us why we never strike at UCT. But really there is nothing to strike about," Ramothwala explained to amused parents who had packed the Jameson Hall.

Ramothwala was quick to encourage parents, urging them to support their children and monitor their progress, saying studying at UCT "is not a walk in the park".

Acting vice-chancellor Professor Crain Soudien also assured parents that the university would provide the best learning environment in the form of world-recognised lecturers, quality support systems, and a suite of extra-mural activities and services such as the Jammie Shuttles, the Student Wellness Service and Campus Protection Services.

This was good news to parents like Caroline Kadenge, who brought her eldest daughter to UCT all the way from Kenya.

"For every parent it is comforting to know that your child will study in a safe environment," Kadenge said.