Uncap GETFund to ensure more development in education - NUGS President
The President of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), Daniel Oppong Kyeremeh, has appealed to the government to stop capping funds for the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND).
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He explained that removing the cap would allow for adequate resourcing of the fund, leading to increased provision of development projects in the school system.
Addressing a NUGS Education Conference at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Mr. Kyeremeh noted that without the cap on GETFUND, many schools in the country would have seen more infrastructural and development initiatives on their campuses.
The NUGS President claimed that instead of releasing Ghc 7 billion, the fund only released Ghc 3 billion due to the capping in 2023.
"I commend the Education Ministry for many innovative and deliberate investments it has since advanced into education from 2017 but I will appeal that it removes the capping on GETFUND so that we can see the full usage of same in the provision of more infrastructural and other development initiatives in schools ", Mr Kyeremeh stated.
Appeal
The NUGS President also appealed to the government to ensure student representation on boards of state institutions and youth agencies. He believed this would ensure that the views and aspirations of Ghanaian students and youth were considered in the operations and activities of these organizations.
Mr. Kyeremeh urged the government to upgrade the 46 training colleges in the country to autonomous status as universities. This would enable them to offer courses similar to those in other universities.
Addressing the conference via a virtual link, the Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, commended NUGS for its interest in Ghanaian students' education.
He emphasized that education provided the best opportunity for a country's transformation, which was why the Akufo-Addo government introduced free Senior High School Education. The aim was to ensure that every Ghanaian child had access to education at least up to the 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.
