Mr James Clarke Hayford, the Registrar in-charge of the Dean of Students Office of the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) has commended the government for the implementation of the “No Fees, No Stress” policy in tertiary institutions.
President John Dramani Mahama launched the policy aimed at removing financial barriers that prevent qualified students from enrolling in public universities, technical universities, nursing training colleges, and colleges of education.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at the University main campus at Fiapre, near Sunyani, Mr Hayford, also the Institutional Advancement and Alumni Relations Officer of the University called on the government to consider expanding the policy to benefit second year students too.
He noted the implementation of the policy was going in the right direction, saying it would greatly help more students to access tertiary education, recommending the need for the government to make the policy benefit first and second year students.
Mr Hayford said: “The strict enforcement of cut-off points to tertiary institutions poses a significant barrier to achieving all-inclusive and quality education” and called for reforms to tackle barriers in the nation’s tertiary education system.
He inspired first year students to justify the government’s gesture by learning hard to excel in their academic career, worrying that despite the UENR proximity, student enrollment from the Bono Region had declined.
Majority of our students are coming from the Western, Western North, Central, Ashanti, and the Northern parts of the country.
Mr Hayford called on families to prioritize and invest much in the education of their children, as the university meets global standards and excellence in innovative studies.