Students' perception of the government's policy of cost - sharing in the tertiary education: A case study of the University of Cape Coast

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the perception of students on the governments' policy of cost-sharing. Its concerns included students' view on policy, the effect of cost-sharing on enrollment, the effect of cost-sharing on quality of teaching, the effect of the policy on facilities at the university, and the effect of the policy on academic performance. The study also identified alternative sources that could be employed to finance tertiary education and found out from students the extent to which they were ready and willing to pay part of the cost of their university training. A sample of 400 students of the University of Cape Coast comprising 183 first year and 217 fourth year students provided data by filling out questionnaire. An interview guide was also used to solicit views from some executive members of the Students' Representative Council (SRC). The results of the study suggested that students agreed that the costsharing policy should be implemented. They believed that the government alone could not fund tertiary education and that students and parents must pay part of the cost of tertiary education. Moreover, they felt that the policy had led to the improvement in some facilities in the Halls of Residence. The students also felt that cost-sharing had not improved the quality of teaching. Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended that government impose an education tax on companies, organisations and churches, which would be used to fund tertiary education. It is also recommended that the universities should institute a peer review mechanism that would crosscheck the quality of teaching done by lecturers in the country's universities.