The Centre for Public Opinion and Awareness (CenPOA) has publicly opposed a proposal by the Minister of Education Hon. Haruna Iddrisu to allocate 2.5% of Ghana’s oil revenue to fund the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) “No Fees Stress” policy for tertiary education.
CenPOA, in a statement dated September 9, 2025, posited that the plan is a “misplaced priority” and a “populist promise”.It argued that if approved, it could worsen existing challenges within the country’s educational system.
The statement, which was signed by Michael Donyina Mensah, Executive Director, noted that while education is critical, the government’s primary responsibility to provide free education should not extend beyond the Senior High School (SHS) level.
He said by this stage, citizens have gained sufficient literacy and numeracy skills to contribute to society.
According to him, tertiary education should remain largely self-funded, with government support limited to targeted scholarships and grants.
He pointed to challenges including schools lacking basic infrastructure and the sustainability of the current Free SHS programme as reasons they opposed the proposal by the Education Minister.
He stressed that redirecting scarce oil revenues to fund tertiary education could exacerbate these foundational problems.
Mr Mensah recommended to the government to focus on using oil revenue to support sustainable industries and job creation.
He concluded by calling on policymakers, stakeholders, and the public to approach such proposals with caution, stressing the need to strengthen foundational education and create an environment conducive to economic growth.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana