IFEST criticises NDC’s 'desperate' last minute ‘Fa Ninyinaa’ promise

The Institute for Education Studies (IFEST) has said a proposal by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to absorb the school fees of tertiary students for the 2020/2021 academic year is merely desperate propaganda.

Executive Director of IFEST, Peter Anti, told GhanaWeb on Tuesday, December 1, 2020, that the announcement by the main opposition party, which it is calling 'Fa Ninyinaa' “is a desperate measure by the NDC to win votes.”

“Educational policies shouldn't be espoused on the whims and caprices of policymakers. There should be well thought through analysis of the policy, it's implications on the finances of the nation and more importantly what it's intended to achieve.

“Just as we have been against the wholesale financing of education at the secondary level, we cannot justify the wholesale financing of first-year university students when there are various scholarship schemes that can be targeted on the needy and marginalized in the country,” he stated.

In what could be described as an attempt to outdo the incumbent New Patriotic Party’s free SHS policy, the NDC announced six days to the general elections that it has incorporated free tertiary education for students admitted in the 2020/2021 academic year into its 2020 manifesto.

In a press statement issued on Tuesday, December 1, 2020, National Chairman of the party, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, said the proposal to update the manifesto was made by NDC’s Education Policy Group.

Also, continuing students will pay half of their school fees under the updated manifesto promise.

According to the statement, the next NDC government will absorb “the full school fees of Ghanaian students who will be admitted to tertiary institutions in the 2020/2021 academic year.”

“This policy is an enhancement of our commitment in the People's Manifesto to absorb 50% of the school fees of all tertiary students for the 2020/2021 academic year through the ‘Kyemupe’ policy, which will now apply to only continuing students in tertiary institutions in the country,” the statement added.

However, reacting to the sudden news the IFEST Executive Director said while it is important to remove the financial barrier to assessing any level of education, “that should be done taking into consideration our development trajectory and focus on improving the quality manpower needs of our society.”