A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Manifesto Committee on Education, Clement Apaak, has defended the party’s proposal to eliminate tuition fees for all first-year tertiary students.
Speaking at the NDC youth manifesto launch in Accra on Monday, August 12, the party’s flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, pledged to introduce this policy to assist struggling students.
Speaking in an interview, the Builsa South MP highlighted the financial barriers that prevent many WASSCE graduates from advancing to tertiary education.
He explained that, the proposed policy is intended to bridge this gap if the NDC wins the upcoming general elections.
“One of the challenges students face is their ability to pay fees, and it has become evident that the number of students who write WASSCE and proceed to the university is not encouraging. This is because paying the fees is a significant problem.
“When we engaged with youth groups on how to address this, waiving fees for first-year students emerged as a strong solution.
“According to figures provided by Kofi Asare of Africa Education Watch, less than 200,000 students took up places in tertiary institutions during the 2023/2024 academic year. The average academic fees for first-year students range between GH¢2,000 and GH¢2,300.
“So, if we use these figures as a base, we estimate that the policy would cost less than GH¢300 million a year. Of course, student numbers fluctuate annually, but it is a feasible plan. By plugging revenue loopholes, we should be able to mobilize the resources needed to fund this proposal” Dr. Apaak explained.
Source: Adomonline
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