Chairman of the West African Examination Council (WAEC), Professor Ato Essuman, has attributed what he described as an enrollment deficit in private universities to the implementation of the Free Senior High School Programme.
Data indicates that 85 percent of students were enrolled at public universities, while only 15 percent were enrolled at private universities.
Speaking at a Public Lecture organized by the Methodist University College on recent crises faced by private universities in Ghana, the educationist urged the management of private universities to employ innovative means in dealing with the situation.
“We thought that with the Free SHS, the numbers are going to increase, and then we will have a lot more to solve our enrollment problems. Our situation is worse.
The numbers that got increased at the secondary level, the majority of them, in fact, have all gone to the public universities. I will say it once again, its value; we must sell something that people are willing to buy. That is the only way we can increase our fees. If people don’t see value, they won’t come,” Professor Ato Essuman lamented.
The Free SHS policy was introduced to provide free secondary education for all Ghanaian students.
