Vice-Rector of BlueCrest University College, Eric Hanson, has called on the government to amend the GETFund Act to support the growth of private universities.
Speaking at the university’s 20th convocation held at the Accra Metropolitan Assembly’s main auditorium, on Friday, November 10, the Vice-Rector said despite the efforts being made by private universities to stay afloat, they are being overtaken by better-resourced public universities.
“Private universities continue to encounter stiff competition from the public universities, especially in the area of student enrollment. The repercussions of this competition have left many private institutions in significant debt and financial instability,” he said.
According to him, if immediate action is not taken to level the playing field for both private and public universities in the country, the next decade will witness the collapse of several private universities.
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He blamed the market-driven practices employed by public universities in response to competition from private universities – i.e. the introduction of fee-paying programmes, sandwich programmes, and distance learning education, etc. – for the worsening condition of the latter.
“Consequently many private universities struggle to attract students, leading to significant financial challenges for these institutions,” he said.
“The financial strain experienced by private universities is worsened by the substantial payment made to both the mentoring institution and the regulators, leaving limited resources for critical areas such as infrastructure development, faculty, and staff training, library enhancements, staff retention, and research activities.
“Adding to these financial challenges is the requirement to settle taxes frequently based on anticipated profits, intensifying the pressure on already limited financial reserves after the fiscal year for most private universities,” he added.
In light of this, Eric Hanson called on the government to amend the GETFund Act 2000 to support private universities with a focus on the sciences, technology, technical studies, education, health, and medical sciences for a fair and equitable educational landscape.
“Equal opportunities must be afforded to all students, irrespective of whether you are in the public universities or the private space. Therefore, students in private universities must be granted the opportunity to benefit from the Ghana Education Trust Fund,” he argued.
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