BY KYLE JEREMIAH

Students of the University of the Southern Caribbean (USC) are forced to take mandatory courses in Christian Theology as part of their degree programmes, the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS) claimed yesterday.

This was confirmed by Vania Serrieaux, a student of USC, who said she had to take a basic theology course while pursuing her degree in psychology.

President of USC Dr Trevor Gardner refused to respond to the allegation yesterday.

The SDMS joined the furore concerning alleged discrimination after Gardner spoke exclusively with the Guardian on Wednesday.

Gardner had dispelled the allegation by Independent Senator Basharat Ali that the university was practising “blatant discrimination.”

Ali said in the Senate on Tuesday that the requirement for a teaching position at the school was that the applicant had to be committed to high Christian standards and ethics.

But in a telephone interview yesterday, Ali said he would like to see the matter investigated by the government as the situation may be a breach of the Equal Opportunity Act.

Ali made the statement after he also claimed on Tuesday that Government gave a subvention of $90 million to USC.

Further investigation, Ali told the Guardian on Wednesday, revealed that the figure was $30 million.

Gardner denied the claim on Wednesday, saying the money was only a promise and that the school did not yet receive any funds from Government.

He also said the USC wrote to Ali about his allegations. Ali has not yet received the letter.