Give university students an allowance - A petition to the President

We would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government led by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Just within nine months of being in office, the people of Ghana have indeed felt the change they voted for. At least if for nothing at all, for implementing the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme, launching the one-district, one-factory, rolling out a paperless system at the ports, rolling out the Ghana card and restoring teacher trainees and nursing trainee allowances.

We have also been told recently that very soon, the government will launch one-student, one-chocolate to boost the consumption of local products. All these policies within the current government’s nine months in office indicate that Ghana is really working again. However, I believe strongly that to whom much is given, much is also expected. It appears we the students in the universities have been sidelined for so long a time and we think it’s about time the government also came to our aid.

We are glad you have the ultimate vision as the President to strengthen the education sector to make it attractive to the ordinary Ghanaian and enviable to the world at large.

Gone are the days when many parents were able to finance their children’s education at the tertiary level. Today, it has become a hustle for many.

Lately, the cost of university education has become a challenge for many parents and a reason most students, after SHS education, are unable to make it to the university level.

Students who drop out of school as a result of not being able to afford the fees in some instances fail to find gainful employment and are often tempted to engage in social vices such as armed robbery, prostitution and scamming.

To go straight to the point, we are aware that our sister schools (training colleges and nursing training institutions to be precise) have started receiving monthly allowances.

We are also aware that their jobs are guaranteed right after their stay on campus.

Drawing a line between students who find themselves in universities and our sister schools, we realise that students in the universities pay fees each year, in addition to the payment of hall dues, Students Representative Council (SRC) dues, departmental dues, hostel fees and the purchasing of books. Admission fees are being increased exponentially each year, not to talk of the sale of forms.

This is not to say that we are not happy for our sisters and brothers who find themselves in the aforesaid institutions.

What we want to put across is that what’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.

In view of that, we are calling on the government to also attend to our needs. We will appreciate it greatly if the government, as part of its budget come 2018, could cater for allowances each year to be given to all final-year students who find themselves in the universities to cover some of the expenses incurred in the course of carrying out their project work.

We believe strongly that if this policy is implemented, it will go a long way to reduce the burden many students go through before they graduate. It will also reduce some of the financial challenges parents face when it is time for their children to graduate.

We know that your government is a listening government and is capable of reversing the current trend.