SaharaReporters gathered that the students who were enrolled in the vocational school in January were disappointed with the knowledge and services provided by the school and how the management was allegedly treating students who decided to call their attention to the situation.
Some GMYT Fashion School students in Lagos State have accused the school administration of dismissing them after they voiced their dissatisfaction with the school curriculum despite paying N645,000 for their training.
SaharaReporters gathered that the students who were enrolled in the vocational school in January were disappointed with the knowledge and services provided by the school and how the management was allegedly treating students who decided to call their attention to the situation.
A source in the school told SaharaReporters that while management urged them to always lodge their complaints by email, her experience proved that the management never responded to the complaints sent to the email address given to them.
The source said, “There is something like ‘if you have a complaint, you send an email and all that’. I sent an email, but they never responded to it. We started complaining in May/June. They now said okay, they are going to create a new curriculum.
“Because we are complaining that we are not doing practical work, we are doing more theory than practical and sewing is a practical thing; that is what we are mostly complaining about.
“So they now changed the curriculum, the whole curriculum. They wasted our time throughout June and July, just going back and forth. Everybody was complaining that we were not learning what we came here for and we paid so much money.
“So they would say they don’t listen to audio complaints. I don’t know if they responded to any other person’s e-mail but they didn’t respond to my e-mail.”
The source added that the circumstance prompted several of her fellow students to file complaints via WhatsApp, but instead of the school management to listen and consider them, they either suspended or expelled them for supposedly breaching school rules.
Another source said: “They have suspended some people because they complained. They spoke out and all that and then I know of one person that has been dismissed. I know of two people that have been suspended. I don't know if they finally dismissed them. The whole hostel fee has been increased and they sent some people out of the hospital even without refunding them.
“There is no video record or post anywhere of where we are complaining. Everything is within the school. Email, we have a group chat where everybody is always complaining and inside that group chat, we have people that will still go and tell the woman what is being said in the group chat.
“There is one of my s who brought to our notice the breakdown of our payments. There was a field trip. We are supposed to have a field trip where we go to teach but they would take us to the market, show us different kinds of materials, and teach about different kinds of materials.
“In the breakdown of our payments, we’ve made payment for that field trip but the woman also came and told us that we had to pay N30,000 but everybody was against it.
“So one of my colleagues brought out the whole payment breakdown and I think that’s why he got suspended because of what he posted in the group for us to see that we paid.”
According to her, the school also extorted them by asking them to pay extra fees for services they were not enjoying.
“Machines that were not working right from when we started attending the Academy in January, they said we are going to pay N25,000 naira each.
“Meanwhile, the maintenance fee is there already so in as much as we are complaining that we are not happy, we are not learning. She’s still trying to extort money from us and she’s making it look like she’s doing us a favour or better still we did not even pay.
“I know a lot of people that have left since. They just forgot about the payment; they made and went to register somewhere else.”
“They did not post anything. They got an e-mail from the school-level consultant that they gave them five days to go and bring down what they posted against the school meanwhile they did not post anything just because they talked about it in the group and someone went to tell her,” the source added.
In response to the complaints, the school management stated that it took the allegations seriously and would investigate the matter.
The school proprietor, Princess Oghene, said, “Let me begin by acknowledging the concerns raised by some of our students regarding their experiences at GMYT Fashion Academy. We take these concerns seriously and are committed to addressing them in a fair and constructive manner.
“At GMYT Fashion Academy, we have a rich history in the fashion industry, spanning over 18 years. In that time, we have trained thousands of students, including those who benefited from our foundation programs, entirely free of charge. Our dedication to fashion education is unwavering, and this commitment is reflected in our comprehensive curriculum and state-of-the-art facilities.
“I have personally dedicated my life to the fashion industry, enriching my expertise through formal education at esteemed institutions like the Lagos Business School, Harvard Business School, and the London College of Fashion. Currently, I'm furthering my knowledge at the Business School Netherlands. Our academy reflects this dedication, aiming to provide the best education and environment for our students.
“Regarding the concerns raised by our students, it's crucial to emphasize that we continuously strive for improvement. We will certainly look into any grievances and feedback provided by students. Dismissing students is not a decision we take lightly, and it involves a thorough evaluation process.”
She also claimed that the school had produced brilliant minds in the fashion industry.
She added, “Once again, I appreciate your understanding and patience in this matter. We look forward to ensuring that the narrative surrounding GMYT Fashion Academy is accurate, fair, and reflective of our institution's integrity.”