The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has expressed grave concern about the high cost of tertiary education, especially among the private universities in the country.

He said even though private universities are helping to bring quality tertiary education to the doorstep of many Ghanaians, the high fees being charged are making it impossible for many people to afford.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu, therefore, appealed to the government to support private tertiary institutions with infrastructure, equipment and funding to help reduce operational and overhead costs in order to make their programmes easily affordable and accessible to many Ghanaians.

This was contained in an address read for him at the Second graduation of the Spiritan University College (SUC) at Ejisu, near Kumasi at the weekend.

Fourteen (14) students were awarded with first degrees, diplomas and certificates in philosophy, religious studies, sociology and economics.

The Asantehene pointed out that private tertiary educational institutions are playing a vital role in increasing access to higher education and there was the need for support to enable them to expand and increase intake.

He charged managers of tertiary institutions to introduce innovative programmes that would meet the current development challenges of the nation.

Mr Joseph Kwabena Onyinah, Ashanti Regional Director of Education, praised the Catholic Church for its contribution to education in the country. He appealed to authorities of tertiary institutions not to concentrate only on the provision of knowledge and skills to students but their moral and spiritual development as well.

Reverend Father Ato Jackson-Donkor, Rector of the College, said the country would be heading for doom if tertiary institutions concentrated on introducing new programmes to the neglect of moral training of their students.

He said recent media reports of gang rape, homosexuality, sexual harassment of women and other negative practices by some university students in the country should be a wake-up call for authorities to institute stringent measures to instill discipline in students.