University students are exempted from paying utility bills – Education Minister

Beginning next academic year, students of public universities will be exempted from paying utility bills.

The initiative is intended to lessen the financial burden on students and increase access to tertiary education, the Minister of Education, Matthew Opoku Prempeh has announced.

Speaking at the third edition of the nation-building updates in Accra, the Minister stressed that the Akufo-Addo led government was the first to introduce an education policy that was aimed at improving the sector.

“The Akufo-Addo led government since 2017 has initiated 719 infrastructure projects at the basic education sector and completed 252 of them” he added

Addressing claims that the government had abandoned school projects started by the erstwhile Mahama government the Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, said “the NPP administration had completed 14 Community SHS under World Bank support”.

On Technical and Vocational education, the Minister said, 37 of the 47 technical institutions were being refurbished, while 34 National Vocational Training Institutes (NVTI) were being upgraded and retooled.

“Also, the government is building district vocational education training centers across the country to train the youth in jewelry, bakery, beads making, basketry, among others” he added.