Policy Analyst Calls On Government To Enhance Access To Tertiary Institutions

Government has been urged to partner closely with private tertiary institutions and devise realistic strategies to enhance access to tertiary institutions, as the first batch of students of the free Senior High School (SHS) programme completes.

Mr Enoch Okonah, the President of the DUMAT Africa, a policy think tank who gave the advice observed that pressure would be on particularly public tertiary institutions in the next academic calendar because of the successful implementation of the SHS programme.

In an interview in Sunyani, Mr Okonah, a policy analyst lauded the free SHS which had bridge the gap between the rich and the poor in accessing quality education but added private and public tertiary institutions required infrastructural expansion so to absorb more students.

“We think the government must absorb the fee disparities between public tertiary education and private tertiary education. Many students do not attend private tertiary institutions because of the high cost involved”.

“It will be expedient on the government to subsidize tuition fees of students in private tertiary institutions”, Mr Okonah said.

He emphasized that the implementation of the free SHS programme would be meaningless if graduates could not have the opportunity to access tertiary education.

“DUMAT thinks there is an urgent need for the nation to create affordability in private tertiary institutions so as to enhance enrolment rates. This will give true meaning and make the free SHS programme impactful”.