Dear Editor,

The problem of who is responsible for paying university tuition fees has been in dispute for many years. Many individuals express their approval of self-paid tuition fees whereas others claim that it is the government’s responsibility to subsidize tertiary education. From my point of view, I am convinced of the latter view owing to the following reasons.

To begin with, that the government pours money into higher education is a crucial factor contributing to a prosperous and civilized society. It must be conceded that the human resource is of great importance to every nation. Investing in higher education, therefore, helps establish a high-quality labour force with great expertise in the future. That is the reason why virtually all developed countries allocate huge amounts of national budgets on universities every year.

Another reason for higher education’s subsidization is that it gives students from all walks of life the equal entitlement to further their education. If all students have to cover their own expenses of study in universities, the chances are that only the well-to-do can afford tertiary education. How can disadvantaged and poor students have enough money to invest in higher education when they can’t even cope with difficulties making ends meet every day? Fortunately enough, tuition waivers and government’s grants are the ideal solutions to that problem, enabling all students to have an opportunity to cultivate their academic prowess, creating a healthy competitive studying environment among themselves.

All things considered, budgets spent on higher education are indispensable these days, especially with a developing country like Guyana. Not only should the authorities continue allocating resources for the University of Guyana education but they ought to provide more money to support lecturers and students in boosting up their performances as well.

Yours faithfully,
Ganesh Mahipaul
UGSS Executive Council Member