86-Year-Old Graduate Recalls Being Sacked From Exam Hall Over Unpaid Fees
- James Aquaah, an elderly graduate, shared the major challenge he faced during his academic journey
- He was sacked from an exam hall after a delay in school fee payment, despite having started the test
- After clearing the fees and paying a penalty, Aquaah was allowed to retake the exams, earning admiration
James Aquaah, who recently graduated from Central University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theology, has shared one of the bizarre moments he encountered during his time as a student at his advanced age.
Source: Twitter
During an interview with Joy Prime, the Ghanaian man, who is 86 years old and also a man of God, shared with the public one of the toughest challenges he experienced and how it affected him.
86-year-old graduate recounts life in school
The Central University graduate recalled how he was once removed from an examination hall because his school fees had not yet been paid in full.
According to him, he depended on his child in the United Kingdom to fund his education, but a delay in payment during his second year nearly cost him his academic progress.
In his words:
“When I returned to school and continued my university programme, my child in the UK was the one supporting me with my fees. There was a delay in the payment when I reached level 200.”
Aquaah recounted that he had already begun writing an examination when a staff member from the university’s accounts department entered the hall to question him about the outstanding fees.
Despite assuring the staff that his child would soon settle the payment, he said the situation escalated.
He added:
“Because of that delay, when I went to the exam hall to write a paper, someone from the university’s accounts department approached me and asked whether I had settled my fees. I explained that my child would send the money soon and asked him to be patient.”
James Aquaah shares struggle with school fees
According to him, he had answered three out of four questions when the staff member abruptly seized his answer booklet in front of the entire class.
“The paper had four questions. I had answered the three, and I was on the fourth question when he seized my paper in the presence of other students because I hadn’t paid my fees. I was very hurt,” he said.
Aquaah noted that the fees were eventually paid in full, including a penalty for late payment. After the settlement, the university allowed him to sit for all the examinations he had missed.
He said:
“The money was eventually sent, all the fees were cleared, and I was even charged a penalty for the late payment. After everything was sorted out, the university opened the exam room for me to write all the papers I had missed. That was the only major challenge I faced during my time at the university.”
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Aquaah’s achievement at age 86 has been widely celebrated, with many inspired by his determination and resilience in overcoming the financial and emotional hurdles he faced on his academic journey.
Watch the video of Aquaah sharing his journey as a student below:
Source: Youtube
Ghanaian named valedictorian at Seattle University
YEN.com.gh had earlier reported that Raymond Acquah Johnfiah, a Ghanaian, was named valedictorian after completing his MSc. in Accounting and Analytics at Seattle University.
He earned a standing ovation after delivering a powerful valedictory speech reflecting on his academic and personal journey.
He also opened up about the struggles of being an international student and how he found belonging through service, music, and teamwork.
Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
