Mussa Dankwah, Executive Director of Global InfoAnalytics, has expressed his stance on the government’s proposal to integrate private schools into the Free Senior High School Education program, offering his expert insights and analysis.
Dankwah proposed that the government explore options for partnering with private schools, such as franchising agreements or assuming management control while compensating owners through rental payments or facility usage fees.
He pointed out that he has consistently maintained that the current government’s flawed decision-making process, stemming from inadequate option analysis, has led to an unjustified escalation of costs associated with the free education program.
“Investment by the private sector is wasted while the government blows budgets to build what is already available for it to use. Meanwhile, the government is still championing Public Private Partnership as a means to create public assets using private finance”.
“Our investment appraisal is driven by conflicts of interest and corruption instead of benefits to the society. Government does not care if a policy will erode private sector wealth”.
Mussa Dankwah
Dankwah emphasized that cost considerations should be viewed from a dual perspective, taking into account not only the government’s expenditures but also the private sector’s investments and potential returns.
He stressed that the guiding principle should not solely focus on minimizing costs to society, but rather consider a broader range of factors, including long-term benefits, equity, and overall well-being.
Furthermore, Dankwah pointed out that the government’s investment evaluation process is hindered by the absence of a robust and integrated framework, leaving it without a clear and structured approach to assess project viability and potential returns.
This limitation, he observed, leads to a myopic emphasis on immediate qualitative gains, neglecting a more comprehensive evaluation of long-term quantitative outcomes, potential risks, and the overall value proposition.
Governments Prioritize Quick Fixes Over Long-Term Solutions
Moreover, Mussa Dankwah pointed out that governments frequently take the expedient but pricey approach, choosing quick fixes that may offer immediate relief but lead to higher costs and unintended consequences down the line.
As such, he emphasized that the comprehensive cost of free education must account for the forgone profits and losses borne by private sector stakeholders in the education industry, which are typically excluded from the government’s calculations.
“The government needs to develop an equivalent of the UK Treasury Green Book. We need to standardize how we appraise projects and policies. We have been joking for far too long”.
Mussa Dankwah
He further advocated that the NDC’s proposed Free L100 admissions policy should be subject to means testing, ensuring that only those who genuinely need financial assistance benefit from this initiative.
Dankwah warned against repeating the errors of the Free SHS policy, stressing that the government should draw on those experiences to design a more targeted, efficient, and financially viable L100 admissions policy.
Meanwhile, the NPP expressed skepticism about the NDC’s proposed policy of free admission for level 100 students, casting doubt on the sincerity and feasibility of the initiative.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye, Communications Director for the NPP campaign, challenged the NDC’s policy logic, asking how they could justify not supporting poor students through secondary education, yet promising to fund their first year of university tuition if they manage to access it.
“And this is after you cancel the allowances for the tertiary students in colleges of nursing and teaching? So you will cancel their allowance and make it free for their university compatriots. We believe in possibilities but it is the people promising this and their inconsistency that people are screaming at”.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye
He highlighted the inconsistency in the NDC’s communication on university funding, where the NDC flagbearer and Dr. Otukornor, the Director of Policy, mention the Student Loan Trust as the means, while the party’s social media accounts promise ‘free’ tuition for level 100 students, creating confusion.
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