Cost recovery would create class society - PNC

Accra, July 13, GNA - Dr Edward Mahama, Leader of the People's National Convention (PNC), has cautioned the government against its policy of cost recovery in education, saying, it would create a class society. "The PNC does not regard education as a cost to be shared or recovered. We regard education as an investment made to develop the most important resource the nation has".

"Cost recovery will create class society in Ghana and jeopardise the fragile stability we are enjoying," he said in faxed statement to the Dr Mahama said, "I call it fragile because in the midst of rising unemployment, poverty, unaffordable hospital and school fees and helplessness and hopelessness there cannot be meaningful stability". He said, "the helplessness and hopelessness are measured by the risk the youth take in stowing away on air crafts or in walking to Libya through the desert".

Dr Mahama said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government initiated the idea of cost sharing in Ghana, which resulted in many young people dropping out of higher educational institutions. He said, "Just like HIPC is a worse form of structural adjustment, so is full cost recovery a worse form of cost sharing".