He said though the introduction of the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme was commendable, it was laudable that government also puts measures in place to ensure its sustainability.

Dr Walker said it is important that government also provides financial support to private tertiary education providers to help absorb the excess Free SHS graduates, who might not gain admission into public tertiary institutions.

Dr Walker made the appeal in his report at the PUC’s ninth graduation in Accra on the theme: “Free SHS National Agenda: Implication for Private Higher Education Institutions”.The ceremony witnessed the graduation of 452 students from the Faculty of Theory and Mission, Faculty of Engineering, Science and Computing as well as the Faculty of Business Administration.

Dr Walker said government’s decision to scrap off the 25 per cent corporate tax on private tertiary education was laudable.He said considerations on non-payment of affiliation cost when concluded in favor of private universities would further improve the likelihood of reduction in tuition fees of private tertiary institutions.

The PUC Rector said it behoves on private universities to adopt innovative and strategic ways to attract more students who might be empowered to serve their generation at the end of their studies.He said the Management of PUC was optimistic about an increase in students’ enrolment because they had proactively put in place flexible payment systems for those who could not afford to pay their fees.

“To sustain and maintain our competitive position, we have taken a number of steps to expand our programmes as well as to provide a wide range of programme options for our prospective students, particularly, in the health sciences," he said.He said to ensure PUC students pass through the university training and are made ready for the job market- equipped with employable skills and entrepreneurial mindset, the University was adding to its teaching staff by employing some international faculty members

Dr Walker urged the graduands to build deep relationships with God, their parents, friends and colleagues; stating that they should not be carried away by the stresses of life, but to rely on God for guidance.Professor George Gyan- Baffour, the Minister of Planning, who represented the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, commended PUC for their immense contributions to raising exceptional human capital, who were being empowered to serve their generation with integrity and the fear of God.

He said the Free SHS policy introduced by government seeks to alleviate many Ghanaians from the hardship of paying school fees for their wards.Prof Gyan-Baffour said since independence, free education was conceived as the trajectory to propel the nation towards accelerated growth and development, adding “the evidence of the benefits abounds in the three northern regions of Ghana, where it was largely implemented”.

He said government was determined to overcome all odds to ensure that the policy became engraved in our socio-economic agenda; as the key concerns confronting the implementation as raised by stakeholders were issues of sustainability of funding and quality.

The Minister, who described the policy as a critical national developmental agenda, said government welcomes PUC on board; and any input submitted towards improving the sustainability of the policy would be highly appreciated.