The President of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), Kyeremeh Oppong Daniel has appealed to government to remove the cap it has placed on funds that goes into the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND) so as to ensure more development initiatives are channelled into the school system.
Addressing a NUGS Education Conference at the CCB auditorium in the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Mr Oppong Daniel revealed that but for the capping on GETFUND many schools in the country would see infrastructural and other development initiatives on their campuses.
The NUGS President disclosed that instead of the 7billion Ghana cedis the GETFUND should have gotten to carry out investments of the budget of last year, the capping on same ensured the release of only 3billion cedis.
“I commend the Education Ministry for many innovative and deliberate investments it has since advanced into education from 2017 but i appeal that it removes the capping on GETFUND so that we can see the full usage of same on the carrying out of more infrastructural and other development initiatives in schools across Ghana”, Mr Oppong Daniel stated.
Other Appeals
The NUGS President furthermore appealed to government to ensure there are student representations on state institutions and youth agencies.
This, he noted would ensure the Ghanaian student and youth are factored into operations and activities of these outfits.
Mr Oppong Daniel also asked government to ensure that the 46 existing training colleges in the country are upgraded given autonomous status to operate as universities so that they can offer courses such as what pertains in all state universities.
“I want to appeal to government to ensure representations from NUGS are on youth as well as Educational outfits and agencies so that the interests of the Ghanaian student are catered for. I also would urge government to consider making the 46 training colleges autonomous university outfits so they could offer opportunities for those interested in having tertiary education to do so and to be able to offer all programmes being offered at public universities “, the NUGS President appealed.
Education Minister
Addressing the conference via a virtual link, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, Ghana’s Education Minister commended NUGS for showing interest in the education of Ghanaian students.
He noted that education provides the best opportunity for the transformation of every country.
This, he noted is the reason why the Nana Akufo-Addo government introduced yhe free Senior High School Education so that every Ghanaian child could have acccess to education to at least secondary level.
“We are changing the face of education and this undoubtedly would turn the fortunes of the country around because apart from free SHS, we have also introduced STEM education and many others which would ensure that students undertake courses such as Artificial intelligence and Engineering no matter their backgrounds previously or courses they offered”, the Minister stated.
Source: Michael Ofosu-Afriyie
