The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has called on the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to provide a more detailed plan regarding its recent pledge to abolish academic fees for first-year tertiary students.
The proposal, announced by NDC’s flagbearer, John Mahama, during the launch of the party’s 2024 Youth Manifesto in Accra, has sparked both interest and concern within academic circles.
In an interview with JoyNews, the National President for UTAG, Prof. Mahamoud Akudugu, expressed the Association’s cautious optimism about the initiative.
While acknowledging the potential benefits of alleviating financial burdens on students and their families, Professor Akudugu emphasized the need for the policy to be carefully targeted to ensure equity.
“We believe that it should be targeted for equity, and we would have preferred that this is given as a bursary, scholarship, or grant to the universities to administer, as they will be able to know which students need the support based on their history,” he stated.
This perspective highlights UTAG’s concern that a blanket tuition-free policy might not effectively address the needs of the most vulnerable students.
Professor Akudugu also voiced concerns about the current state of funding for universities, which he described as inadequate. “As of now, government funding to the universities has drastically declined to the extent that it is only salaries that are being paid,” he said.
He further stressed that the success of any new policy would be contingent on the government’s ability to provide sufficient funding to support both students and university infrastructure.
The NDC’s proposal includes not only the elimination of first-year tuition fees but also reforms to the Student Loan Trust Fund.
These reforms would allow continuing students to use loans to cover their tuition fees directly, a move aimed at reducing financial stress and enabling students to focus on their studies.
However, UTAG is calling for a more comprehensive plan that addresses the potential impact on university resources and faculty.
“In the propositions, I have not heard anything about lecture theatres and lecture recruitments… it is good news that a government wants to do this, but the Association is also concerned about government funding to the universities,” Prof. Akudugu added.
As the political landscape gears up for the upcoming elections, UTAG’s call for a detailed and targeted approach underscores the importance of balancing student support with sustainable university funding. The Association’s input will likely play a crucial role in shaping the discourse around education policies in the months leading up to the polls.
