Ranking Member on Committee of Education in Parliament has described as highly impossible President Mahama’s promise to make tertiary education progressively free if given another term in office.
According to Professor Dominic Fobih, it’s either the president was daydreaming or just making one of his numerous utopian promises to win votes.
President Mahama while address students of the University of Cape Coast on Wednesday as part of his five-day tour of the Central region announced plans by his government to make tertiary education free.
“I wish to assure you that as Ghana’s GDP continues to grow and as we continue to make wealth, we will continue to make tertiary education progressively free so that you pay less fees” he stated.
But many are questioning the feasibility of the promise when government has not been able to implement fully, the free Senior High School promise it made in 2012.
Dr. Prince Armah of the non-governmental organisation, VIAM Center for Education believes the free SHS promise is a joke hence must be ignored.
In support, Prof Dominic Fobih in an interview on Adom News appealed to parents to treat the promise with the contempt it deserves.
“Free tertiary education is not practicable; if I were the president I would not have repeated these unrealistic promises” he stressed.
The Member of Parliament for Assin Central wondered how government intends to make tertiary education when in fact students are now paying their own utility bills and academic user fees.
Prof. Dominic Fobih urged government to concentrate on investing in the education sector than embarking on impractical policies just to win the December 7 elections.
“Even the advanced countries like the United States of America, Canada and Britain have not made tertiary education free how much more Ghana, so I think this is just a campaign talk,” he added.
Also, Former Director General of the Ghana Education Service (GES) Michael Nsowah advised parents not to rely on the free tertiary education promise but rather look for their own resources to educate their wards.
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