The Education Policy and Research Institute (Eduwatch) has called for the removal of affiliation-related costs in the proposed establishment of the National University of Teacher Education (NUTE), arguing that the reform should translate into direct financial relief for students.
In a position paper issued on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, Eduwatch said the current affiliation arrangement, under which Colleges of Education are linked to mentoring universities, places a significant financial burden on students.
“Removing the intermediary affiliation arrangement should therefore create an efficiency gain that directly benefits students,” Eduwatch said.
The organisation said any savings resulting from the proposed restructuring must be reflected in lower student fees rather than being absorbed through new charges.
“Cost reduction should be an explicit and measurable reform outcome,” it said.
Eduwatch further cautioned against transferring existing affiliation expenses to NUTE or introducing new fee categories that would effectively preserve the financial burden on students.
“Affiliation-related costs should not be transferred to NUTE or reintroduced under new fee categories,” the organisation said.
According to Eduwatch, payments to mentoring universities currently account for about 20% of fees paid by students of Ghana’s Colleges of Education.
It said this makes the proposed reform an opportunity to achieve meaningful cost savings for students, provided the removal of the intermediary arrangement results in actual reductions in the fees they pay.
