Well it’s
been such a long time, I was beginning to wonder if I had been hit by the
famous “writers block”. As it turns out, I am solid, just been lazy about
writing that is all. Several ideas have been tossing around in my head for some
time now and this morning one began to nag and bang. The clamor it was creating
was so loud I am sure the police man that stopped me for routine car checks
must have heard it. After the routine check, I decided to turn on my radio. On
turning on my radio (normally on 101.3 BBC Ghana) I chanced on Radio Universe
(105.7) of the University of Ghana. As usual it was a panelist program. The day
was 7th July, 2013. The time spent discussing issues in Ghana if
judiciously applied to production should see our country excel on all fronts of
production; but that is another topic for another day.
Tuning in
to Radio Universe (RU) today had me listening to the idea that had been
clanging up my mind this morning; the case of government participation in
private tertiary institutions. Many a time have I walked the corridors of
educational powers, where experts have discussed, the plight of the Ghanaian
Student in seeking tertiary education. We all admit that the publicly funded or
assisted tertiary institutions are inadequate to absorb the numbers of
qualified applicants. I have always argued that the issue is and has never been
the numbers of publicly assisted institutions but rather of capacity. Given the
available development space, it is surprising to note that only 20% of Land Resource
of all Tertiary Education Institutions has been developed into teaching,
learning, research and housing facilities for the universities across board.
The usual point of blame is funding. Sometimes I am inclined to buy into the
argument of some experts who whisper that there was no need to create two
publicly funded universities how much more a third one. They whisper because in
Ghana to dissent from the ruling governments direction is to be of the
opposition. One would expect that for a country with strained resources,
expanding what we have already created would be the focus and not the creation
of new and sure to be underfunded publicly funded universities.
So as I
listened to the students discuss their wish for government participation in
private education (oh and the English was terrible) I could not help but wonder
if our educational system was not doomed to fail. Not only were they at sea on
the topic, but when asked to suggest intervention lines which the government
might take in this Private-Public Partnership, they were very unrealistic in
their suggestions. I seek not to bash the panelist, no, that will not be fair
to them, for in their capacity and by the standards of education, that was the
best they could think of. The argument for this government intervention road on
several waves, one being the cost of fees, the other, a lack of structural facilities
in the various privately funded tertiary institutions, the third being that since
they were taxpaying (themselves and their sponsors) as well as the engagement
of grandaunts on the National Service Scheme warranted an intervention. Sound
arguments I must say. When asked to suggest interventions, they forwarded that
Government should partner the private investor in the physical development of
these tertiary institutions, example building and stocking libraries, buses and
hostels. Another suggestion was a subsidizing of fees by government as it is
done for students in the private sector. After listening for about an hour, the
sadness forced me to tune out. Not only were they not missing the point, but
for once they had a platform to properly channel their grievance and they were
failing to do so.
Here is my
take on where government can and can’t assist in privately funded tertiary
institutions. Unanimously, I doubt if anyone can argue that the European
practice of making study loans available to all citizens should not apply in
Ghana. This I perceive will solve to a large extent the case of Accessibility
and Equity (funding resources). What I am suggesting simply is to open up the
Student Loans Trust Fund to any student of Ghanaian Nationality who so wishes
to access it for educational purposes. Currently the Student Loan, because it
was initially being invested in by the Pension Scheme of SNNIT and to factor in
the dollar fluctuation and market influences was set on a compound interest
system. This makes repayment of the loans a bit problematic. The SLF to enable
easy payment and sustainability should be tailored to suit an applicant. Where
an applicant signs a bond for example, to work for only a government agency
(first 5years post tertiary), he gets to pay the loan on a fixed interest
system, whilst the applicant who signs a bond to work for the private sector
could be placed on the compound interest system. To ensure equality, this
suggestion should not factor in whether you are in a publicly or privately
funded tertiary institution.
As far as
the argument on National Service goes, I hope students and every Ghanaian is
aware that our education is heavily subsidized. Government takes up the chunk
of the cost of education, from basic to tertiary. The estimated ranges of
support are 100% at the basic level (if you attend a publicly funded basic
education institution); 70% at the Secondary level and 65% at the tertiary
level. I therefore wish to ask the panelists and students in private tertiary
institutions if government is not justified in demanding national service from
them. Yes their parents paid taxes and yes some of them even still do, but I
belief they have over enjoyed the said taxes. I am tempted to tell them to
“shut up and suffer” as my volley coach in the University of Ghana used to say
(Ozote I reference you for here oooh) but decorum won’t allow me to.
As I listened
to the discussion, I heard the panelist suggestion the use of GETFund to assist
private institutions in the provision of Buses, Hostels and other Teaching,
Learning and Research infrastructures. At this point I wish to present Section
2 of the Act 581 also known as the Ghana Education Trust Fund Act, 2000.
(1) The object of the Fund is to provide
finance to supplement the provision of education at all levels by the
Government.
(2) For the purpose of attaining this object,
the monies from the Fund are to be expended as follows:
(a) to provide financial support to the
agencies and institutions under the Ministry of Education, through the
Ministry, for the development and maintenance of essential academic facilities
and infrastructure in public educational institutions, particularly, in
tertiary institutions;
(b) to provide supplementary funding to the
Scholarship Secretariat for the grant of scholarships to gifted but needy
students for studies in second-cycle and accredited tertiary institutions in
Ghana;
(c) to contribute monies from the Fund towards
the operation of student loans schemes for students in accredited tertiary
institutions through loan scheme mechanisms and agencies, approved by the
Minister;
(d) to provide, through the National Council on
Tertiary Education, grants to tertiary institutions,
(i) to train brilliant students as members of
faculties;
(ii) to undertake research and other academic
programmes of relevance to national development; and
(e) to provide monies to support such other
educational activities and programmes for the promotion of education as the
Minister in consultation with the Board may determine.
I believe
the reader needs no further convincing why GETFund can’t and won’t be used to
subsidize education in the private sector. This does not even factor in the
inadequately developed publicly funded tertiary education institution. Even if
we had the resources, legally we as a country could not. The other point is
that, what if government invests in the ideas of a private entrepreneur helps
in establishing the necessary tools for running a private tertiary education
institution, only for the private investor to change their minds on the
direction of investment. From Education to Hotel; on what grounds would
government stand to demand recompense? And what if an ordinary farmer also
wants this same government assistance in converting his cocoa farm into a cocoa
processing factory?
One problem
I have observed in the Ghanaian is that we are quick to point out the problems.
We cry that our voices are not heard in the corridors of power (we have had
coup d’états from such cries). When we are given platforms to make our voices
heard, well we most often than not fail to say what really needs to be said. Knowing
the problem is just 1/3rd of the matter, coming up with realistic,
implementable solutions is another 1/3rd, implementing and
sustaining the suggested and agreed on solutions is the last 1/3rd. I congratulate Radio Universe for providing a
platform for such a discussion, I look forward to when the Ministry of
Education and all stake holders will create a bigger, better platform for this
discussion. I wish the students in the private sector well and advocate for all
possible assistance to them, however it must be done within the confines of the
law, taking into cognizance the resources available for National Development.
Thank you.
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