KNUST VC says gap between poor and rich widening

The Vice Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Professor William Otoo Ellis has expressed concern over the present high cost of living in the country indicating that it is likely to further widen the gap between the rich and the poor.

According to him, this has negatively affected the quality of education in the country, warning that the situation could worsen if measures are not immediately adopted to reverse the rising cost of living in the country.

He made this observation at the Ashanti Regional Students Representatives Council (SRC) students’ week celebration for all Senior High Schools (SHSs) in the Ashanti Region.

The event was held under the theme, “the Rising Cost of Living in Ghana, its impact on education,” but the Vice Chancellor lamented the inability of several students to access avenues to higher education because of the lack of funds to pay school fees.

He, therefore, called on government to do more by way of introducing more scholarships and investments to better the plight of students in less privileged homes who may not be able to finance their education.

“There are many who gained admission into higher institutions but are unable to pursue their education in these institutions because they do not have the resources,” he disclosed.

According to him, some SHSs in the country which are science bias do not also have the necessary logistics including teaching and learning materials to facilitate knowledge acquisition, having a toll on education.

He indicated that these were but a few of the reasons resulting in the yawning gap between the poor and rich and called for steps in addressing the issue head-on before it becomes a national catastrophe.

Speaking to Ultimate News, the students expressed concern about the high cost of living and its impact on their education. The SRC Regional Coordinator, Ohene Amoako David, highlighted the essence of the program and called on government to help ease their plight.