Education// Do plug yourself in the right system for the realistic solution! Check NDC’s Manifesto PAGES 74 & 75.
Realistic Promise 1,
Absorb fifty percent (50%) of fees of tertiary students for the 2020/2021 academic year as an incentive to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on students and parents:
Yes, pre- Covid19, there were vindictive targeting and collapsing of jobs and businesses – so the excruciating pain and hardship in the country are real.
If you’re a political party and you ridicule the NDC on this promise you do so at your peril. Why? This promise sits well with the majority of parents who are thinking of how to finance their wards tertiary education for the 2020/2021 academic year, not to talk of students who pay their own fees.
The impact of covid19 on Ghanaian businesses, job losses, private teachers, and others cannot be underestimated.
I was chatting with my “waakye” seller recently and she told me categorically that business has been slow since COVID 19 came and had it not been her three kids have all finish with university education they’ll all come to sit at home. Because where will she get the money to pay their tuition fees, hostel, and other provisions. The impact of covid19 on businesses are real. Take also, someone who depends on a brother or sister who is a tutor in a private school – all of a sudden the source of their income was cut. Despite President Mahama’s call for the private teachers to be given a token from their own SSNIT contributions – which have fallen on death ear since? Hence, this promise from the incoming president Mahama will give a head start to many Ghanaians for the 2020/2021 academic year and cushion them in numerous ways.
Realistic Promise 2,
Establish Free Wi-Fi zones in all public and private tertiary institutions:
This is a burden to be lifted from parents and students.
Remember, when covid19 came, incoming President Mahama made an incessant call for the government to engage the Telcos for the need of reducing the cost of data as many students and parents are home using data for either business activities or assignment, but the government here also developed a deaf ear till date.
Most of us have been students and are still in school and we know how the cost of data in academic works have being a headache and impediment for us given off our best.
So, an incoming government led by Mahama to give us a head start is huge for the students, parents and the nation at large as the capacity building will be boosted.
Undoubtedly, the free WiFi will push the students’ research work to another level as the students in both private and public universities need it; to easily and quickly share documents, to edit the presentation in real-time, to store project files in the cloud, to easily connect to ZOOM platforms to improve teamwork skills, to access more information in real-time, etc
Realistic Promise 3,
Provide free laptops to tertiary students to facilitate participate in virtual classes:
During the LockDown when students were asked to study via online platforms. Not all were able to connect to date. Some students and parents could not sincerely afford for laptop or smartphone. They wish to have but the economy simply can’t allow them to buy one. Some students from far to reach areas with the laptops and phones too had connectivity challenges due to poor network etc,. So, you can see why President Mahama invested heavily in the telecommunications sector – where fiber optic cables were laid from Volta to Bawku. Has Nana Addo and Ursula Owusu continued in that spirit of the telecommunications drive championed by President Mahama and the then able sector minister, Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah we would’ve been in a better place today? Where online studies and transactions wouldn’t be a challenge – that’s why the digital center was also established to serve as a business outsourcing center, today, a section of that center has been given out to NPP foot soldiers who are on social media doing dirty bidding of the ruling government. Misplaced priority there!
Due to President Mahama’s visionary leadership and the complimentary effort by the then communications minister, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, fiber optic cables that were laid, today, the upstream sector of the oil industry could now process information in real-time whilst operating at the rig which used not to be the case.
How possible for incoming president Mahama to share free laptops one may ask?
NDC under Prof Mills and Mr. Mahama has shared laptops with both students and basic school teachers in the past and will definitely do it again.
We do know laptop gives students the flexibility and freedom they need to do academic research work, assignments anytime, anywhere.
Realistic Promise 5, NDC Manifesto page 75.
STUDENTS LOAN & SLTF PLUS:
If you’ve secured admission to any of the tertiary institutions and you don’t have money or your parents don’t have money immediately to pay for your admission fees, don’t worry you’re covered by incoming president Mahama with Students loan plus, where immediately you’ve gotten your admission letter you’ll have access to this facility. This payment will be effected directly to your school, and when you’ve finally gone to school, this time around you need no guarantor which has been a blockade to many not having access to this facility, just with a credible national identification document that could be used to trace you, you’ll begin to also get the students loan which the amount has now been doubled reflecting the current educational expenses.
Not leaving behind the continuing students.
Visionary!
REST OF THE TERTIARY EDUCATION REALISTIC PROMISES CAPTURED IN THE NDC’S MANIFESTO, PAGES 74 & 75.
The next NDC Government will:
a. repeal the Public Universities Act if enacted and allow public universities to exercise the autonomy the Constitution has clothed them with
b. strengthen the regulatory role of the National Council for Tertiary Education
c. absorb fifty percent (50%) of fees of tertiary students for the 2020/2021 academic year as an incentive to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on students and parents
d. establish free Wi-Fi zones in all public and private tertiary institutions
e. provide free laptops to tertiary students to facilitate participation in virtual classes
f. encourage shared laboratory experiences especially for those in the science and technology programmes and include private tertiary institutions
g. complete the conversion of all polytechnics into Technical Universities(TUs) in line with our original vision of creating opportunities for the professional mobility of practitioners
h. reposition the TUs to produce relevant manpower for national development
j. equip all Amatrol labs and provide appropriate training both home and abroad for instructors
k. operationalize the National Research Fund
l. expand medical education, training of Physician Assistants, nurses and midwives and preventive health practitioners to sustain Free Primary Health Care for all
m. enhance staff exchanges across/among public/private institutions especially among distinguished and experienced professionals
n. encourage and support private investment in infrastructure especially for student accommodation and transportation
o. create equal opportunities for females and individuals with special needs
p. establish universities in the six new regions
q. maintain the status quo with regards to the payment of allowances for teacher and nursing trainees. abolish the mandatory national service and teacher licensure examinations for graduates of the Colleges of Education
s. restore automatic employment of newly trained teachers
t. provide free tertiary education for persons with disabilities
u. support tertiary institutions to invest in virtual infrastructure.
7.2.7 Legal Education
a. vigorously reform and expand access to professional legal education and provide opportunities to all qualified LLB holders by granting accreditation to certified law faculties to undertake the professional law qualification course
b. review the Legal Profession Act in consultation with stakeholders, and establish a Council for legal education and training, to accredit certified law faculties to run the Professional Law Course subject to the oversight supervision of the Council
c. establish a faculty of law in the Northern Region to serve the northern sector
7.2.8 Student Loans
The next NDC Government will:
a. resource the Student Loan Trust Fund to make timely and adequate payments to students
b. increase students’ loans to be commensurate with prevailing educational costs
c. abolish the requirement of guarantors as a pre-condition for accessing student loans to enable more students who need financial assistance access the loan
d. replace the guarantor eligibility system with possession of a recognized National Identity Card to facilitate tracking post-school tracking and loan recovery
e. extend loan repayment period to ten years including a three-year moratorium to commence repayment
f. remove all impediments to the ability of students to easily access the facility
g. extend coverage to students in public and private tertiary institutions.
h. reintroduce the SLTF Plus to enable students access loans upon admission.
Beloved, Mahama & Jane have done it before and will do it again when given the opportunity.
Other reading material on NDC’s funding of its MANIFESTO >>> https://okayfm.peacefmonline.com/pages/politics/202009/426738.php
DOWNLOAD NDC MANIFESTO >>>> Please find below a link to photos from the event.
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmQDzjab
I will end my piece with the quote –
“Ghana doesn’t belong to a select few, our resources are to be used for the benefit of us all,.
President Mahama will come and correct this and other wrongs and make sure he creates opportunities for Ghanaians regardless of your tribe, creed, and background,.. ”
Rescue mission!
I remain your humble servant.
By Kofi Azumah Xornam aka Zumzum