President of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), Dennis Appiah Larbi has described the directive from the Minister of Education, asking public tertiary institutions to comply to 15% increase in school fees, as a “right call”.
The directive, which demanded that the University of Ghana comply with the 15% increase in fees as approved by parliament, was given by the Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, after holding a meeting with the leaders of public universities on 5th January 2023.
Mr. Dennis Appiah Larbi sided with the directive, stating how beneficial it will be to vulnerable students, given the current state of the country’s economy.
I believe it is the right call. At the end of the day, it is not for me, it’s not for anybody, it is for the vulnerable students of this country. So, the least we can do is work with the 15%. At the end of the day, we are hoping that we could even go below the 15% and get universities to accept 50%-part payment especially for residential and also for academic facility.
Mr. Larbi further argued the barrier created in tertiary enrollment in Ghana due to expensive tuition fees. He believes that a decrease in fees charged would boost enrollment to tertiary institutions in the country.
This country has a tertiary enrollment average of 19%. The data and research clearly shows that the single most important barrier to tertiary enrollment in Africa, or especially in Ghana, is the barrier, of course, accessing funds in finance. At the end of the day, if you want to improve and then get to about at least 30% tertiary enrollment average, then we must consciously take steps that will reduce the barrier to accessing tertiary education.
Story Written By: Fiakeye Anita Emefa| univers.edu.gh
