Young man criticises NDC's free tuition policy, calls for sustainable initiatives

A young man has raised concerns about the National Democratic Congress (NDC)'s recent policy proposal to provide free first-year tuition to new university students. He has suggested that the NDC should prioritise sustainable initiatives, such as investing in existing policies and creating employment opportunities, rather than making promises aimed at gaining votes.

In a media engagement shared on X, the young man expressed his scepticism about the NDC’s intentions, arguing that while the promise of free tuition might be appealing, it does not address the underlying issues facing the education sector and the broader economy. He emphasised the need for long-term solutions that would have more significant impact on the lives of Ghanaians.

“To me it’s a very bad policy. If we consider the implementation of the Free SHS. This is not the right time for another government to tell us that they will implement free tuition for people coming to the university. Because that’s not what we need. … The quality we are getting from the Free SHS is very bad when you consider the food and and accommodation provide.”

“So why don’t you channel the funds you coming to use for this to the SHS level to get the quality education that they need. Because the government can’t provide everything free. There should be systems like creating jobs for people to (earn and) pay their fees…So I think the policy is a bad one and I don’t know if their aim is to get more votes in the elections,” he stated.

The NDC’s policy, which was unveiled as part of their youth manifesto, aimed to make higher education more accessible by eliminating tuition fees for first-year students in public universities.

The party argued that this initiative would ease the financial burden on students and their families, particularly those from economically disadvantaged background.

However, critics like the young man believe that such policies are short-sighted and does not address the root causes of financial hardship among students. They argue that the party should instead focus on improving the quality of education, providing better support for existing educational programmes, and creating job opportunities for graduates.

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