A Policy Analysis of the Financing of Tertiary Education
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A POLICY ANALYSIS OF THE FINANCING OF TERTIARY EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN GHANA: AN ASSESSMENT OF THE OBJECTIVES AND THE IMPACT OF THE GHANA EDUCATION TRUST FUND A dissertation presented to the faculty of the College of Education of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy Francis Atuahene November 2006 This dissertation entitled A POLICY ANALYSIS OF THE FINANCING OF TERTIARY EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN GHANA: AN ASSESSMENT OF THE OBJECTIVES AND THE IMPACT OF THE GHANA EDUCATION TRUST FUND by FRANCIS ATUAHENE has been approved for the Department of Counseling and Higher Education and the College of Education by William Marcus Cutright Associate Professor of Counseling and Higher Education Renée A. Middleton Dean, College of Education Abstract ATUAHENE, FRANCIS, Ph.D., November 2006, Higher Education A POLICY ANALYSIS OF THE FINANCING OF TERTIARY EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN GHANA: AN ASSESSMENT OF THE OBJECTIVES AND THE IMPACT OF THE GHANA EDUCATION TRUST FUND (271 pp.) Director of Dissertation: William Marcus Cutright Higher education development worldwide at the turn of the century has witnessed a multitude of challenges such as accessibility, affordability, financial austerity, faculty recruitment and retention, and the lack of improvement of physical facilities. Whereas these challenges pose a serious threat to effective higher education systems, two major challenges of massification and financial stringency remain a peril at the pinnacle of education development. Whilst different cost sharing mechanisms have been advanced to address these problems in most advanced countries, the situation is quite different in sub-Saharan African countries, where the introduction of cost sharing has generated serious agitations from students. In Ghana where the higher education system is constitutionally financed by the state, the introduction of cost sharing policies have not only been politicized and attacked, but also created severe inequalities making higher education the preserve of the socially privileged. Cognizant of these quagmires, and realizing the importance of higher education to national development, Parliament passed a bill that established the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund Act 581) in 2000, which levies a 2.5% Value Added Tax (VAT) on goods and services to supplement government budgetary allocations to education. The purpose is to provide financial resources to support all educational institutions and offer financial assistance to genuinely needy and academically talented students. Guided by the interpretive theory of social constructivism, this study used qualitative document analysis and interview techniques to investigate the perceptions of university administrators, board of trustees, government officials, and student leadership about the fulfillment of the objectives of the Act. Twenty-five participants representing three major universities, two polytechnics and agencies of the Ministry of Education were selected for this study. The first phase of the study analyzed existing government and policy documents on education, particularly those on the GETFund. The second phase of open-ended interviews investigated the perceptions of participants of the study. The findings of the study indicated a tremendous contribution of the GETFund towards higher education development in Ghana in the areas of academic and residential infrastructural development, provision of scholarships and financial assistance to needy students, contributions to faculty research and development and the establishment of a student loans scheme. Approved: William Marcus Cutright Associate Professor of Counseling and Higher Education Dedication This Work is dedicated to the ever-loving memory of my father (deceased) who did not live to see the fruit of his labor and to my brother Philip Kwasi Andoh who took the fatherly role and provided me with education, and my mom, Afua Tabuah who valued the importance of education for the success of a young man. Acknowledgement Through Him, with Him, in Him, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, Almighty God, all glory and honor is yours, one God forever and ever .. Amen (The Liturgy of the Word) This dissertation was made possible by the enthusiastic support, suggestions, encouragement, and guidance of many individuals. I am greatly indebted to my academic advisor, chair and director of this dissertation, Dr. William Marcus Cutright for his unflinching support, encouragement, guidance and understanding. He consistently challenged me to do my best to the final product of this work. Dr. Cutright taught me higher education and organization theory, helped me to understand international comparative higher education and the differences and symbolisms of institutions in a global perspective. Dr. Cutright, thank you for being my academic friend, serene advisor and an intellectual father. I am also grateful to the other members of my committee, Dr. George Johanson for his methodological advice, Dr. Valerie Martin Conley who provided me with the utmost insight in higher education policy and Dr. Michael Mumper, the associate provost of graduate studies who taught me higher education finance policy. Without them this piece would not have been completed. I thank them most sincerely. I wish to thank Dr. Lisa Aubrey for her mentorship while in the University of Ghana and who boosted my interest in pursuing graduate education at Ohio University. I can’t say thank you enough. Lisa, I appreciate your motherly love. Moreover, my gratitude also goes to Dr. Steve Howard for his support and advice during my studies at Ohio University. Dr. Howard played a role as my friend, advisor, and a Godfather during my stay in Athens. My deepest appreciation also goes to the many people who supported me in Ghana during my dissertation research and all the participants of the study. Specifically, Mr. Ibrahim Kwabena Antwi, a librarian at the University of Development Studies and Mr. Thomas Quarcoo Aduah of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Media Relations’ Office for their assistance and support. Many individuals also provided support in myriad ways. I wish to express my sincerest appreciation to my siblings in Ghana who supported me in absentia through prayers and encouragement. Special thanks go to Vida Atuahene, Rose Asante, Philip Andoh, Comfort Asare, Kofi Atuahene and Gladys Pomaah. Finally, no listing of acknowledgement would be complete without emphasizing the contributions of my friends who morally supported me in Athens. Listing them all is impossible, but I would like to give special thanks to Dr. John Archibald Peters, Mr. Alexander Offei Mintah, Mohammed Sati, Dr. Agya Boakye-Boaten, Osman Antwi Boateng and Mr. James Kofi Adabor. Many thanks go to Ms. Erica Butcher for your moral and lovely support during my stay in Athens. My appreciation also goes to Ms. Alison Reis for your support and encouragement. Blessings and honor and glory and power be to him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever. viii Table of Contents Abstract....................................................................................................................................................iii Dedication...............................................................................................................................................v Acknowledgement..................................................................................................................................vi List of Tables ..........................................................................................................................................xiv List of Figures.........................................................................................................................................xv CHAPTER ONE.................................................................................................................................1 Higher Education in Ghana and the New Millennium: Old and New Challenges.......1 Introduction...................................................................................................................1 State of Higher Education.....................................................................................................5 Statement of the Problem ...................................................................................................11 Research Questions..............................................................................................................13 Purpose of the Study............................................................................................................13 Significance of the Study .....................................................................................................13 Implication of the Study for Other African Countries ...................................................14 Limitations of the Study ......................................................................................................16 Delimitations of the Study ..................................................................................................16 Definitions of Terms............................................................................................................17 Organization of the Study ...................................................................................................18 CHAPTER TWO...............................................................................................................................20