Students march against "high" school fees

Accra, Sept. 26, GNA - Hundreds of students of the Accra City Campus of the University of Ghana, Legon, on Wednesday embarked on a peaceful demonstration to press home demands for a reduction in "high fees" at the institution.

The demonstrators led by the Executives of the Students Representative Council (SRC) of the University, marched from the Campus through Novotel, the Ministries before converging at the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports where the Mr Daniel Korshie Adzaraku, President of the SRC, presented a three-page petition to the government. Mr James Afranie, Director of Planning, Budgeting Monitoring and Evaluating at the Ministry, received the petition on behalf of sector minister, Professor Dominic Fobih.

The students in the petition described the school fees as "unbearable" saying this had compelled some of them to defer their courses because they least expected such high fees. According to the students, most of them had not been able to fulfil the University's policy of paying 60 per cent of total fees before enrolment and this had resulted in those affected being denied the opportunity to register.

The students called for an increase in the subsidy provided by Government, saying, "We believe that as Ghanaians we also deserve a fair share of the national cake."

The students also rejected the University's stand that the Accra City Campus was a fee-paying institution and described it as an exploitation of students.

The students said fee-paying students were informed of the fees they were expected to pay before their enrolment while those who paid fees and Private University students were not obliged to render National Service.

In addition, they said, most students at the Accra City Campus opted for the Legon Campus but were admitted instead to the City Campus without their knowledge, and that fee-paying students selected their course of study.

Thee fees being charged now are as follows: Level 100 GH cedis 806 (8,060,000 cedis); Level 200 Administration GH cedis 976 (9,760,000 cedis); Humanities GH cedis 778 (7,780,000 cedis); Level 300 Administration GH cedis 976 (9,760,000 cedis); Humanities GH cedis 756 (7,560,000 cedis); Level 400 Administration GH cedis 471 (4,710,000 cedis); Humanities GH cedis 597 (5,970,000 cedis); Dip. Two Administration GH cedis 536 (5,360,0000); Humanities GH cedis 426 (4,260,000 cedis).

They appealed to President John Agyekum Kufuor to come to their aid by subsidising the tuition fees to a comparatively minimal level. 26 Sept. 07