BBC Pidgin of Thursday, 29 December 2022

Source: BBC

Ghana students vex over 40% increase in public universities school fees

A foto of di KNUST campus for Kumasi A foto of di KNUST campus for Kumasi

Students for Ghana dey vex university authorities after de introduction of new school fees, some of which increase by over 40%.

Inside statement wey dem release, USAG talk say “de recent astronomical hikes in school fees of public universities in de country, go make access to education increasingly difficult.”

According to de students, with de introduction of new fees three weeks to school reopening, dem no fit prepare for de high academic and residential fees which dey come at short notice.

Some of de schools dey include, University Students Association of Ghana (USAG), public universities like University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), University of Cape Coast (UCC) den others all introduce different fees charges which no get approval from parliament.

Parliament approve 15% fee increase in de previous academic year

According to USAG, parliament recently approved 15% maximum increment for public university fees in de previous academic year.

But dis time, de public universities no seek approval from parliament as dem decide to charge dia own fees.

In de University of Ghana for instance, continuing Bachelor of Arts students previously dey pay Ghc 1,098 but now some of dem for pay new fees of Ghc 1,524 which be over 40% increase.

Other students for KNUST den UCC also get fee charges ahead of de new semester.

Why Universities dey charge high fees

Kofi Asare, Executive Director of Africa Education Watch talk say de schools dey charge higher fees same of dem no dey get support from govment.

“Allocated funds for goods and services no dey come from Finance Ministry. Sake of dis dem for rely on de students to get de money,” he explain.

But he add say if universities get issues, dem for approach parliament den negotiate.

“Whatever action de university go take for be consistent with law. Parliament sanction 15% approval for fees, so that be what dem for go with.”

De practice for Ghana be say govment for give tertiary institutions some budget allocations, but in de past five years dis monies no dey come.