From political pronouncement to policy: A content analysis of Liberia’s tuition-free higher education initiative

• In Event: Roundtable Session 9
  In Refereed Roundtable Session: Structural inequality and education: policy, crisis, and representation

Proposal

Abstract

Study Purpose: The study intends to examine how Liberia’s tuition-free initiative for public universities was explained in political speeches, official statements, and legislative decisions. Fowler’s (2000) stage model will be used as a conceptual framework to guide the analysis for the study and to examine the implications of its implementation in Liberia. The study will use qualitative content analysis as its methodology. It will underscore the power of political pronouncement regarding public policy and describes the nature and context of Liberia’s higher education. The study intends to address the following research questions: How was the tuition-free initiative framed in official government pronouncements, media coverage, and policy documents?

Conceptual Framework: According to Fowler (2000), “the policy process is the sequence of events that occurs when a political system considers different approaches to public problems, adopts one of them, tries it out, and evaluates it” (p.14). Hence, public policy cannot be examined in a vacuum, regardless of its nature and type. This study uses Fowler’s stage model (2000) policy process to explore the proposed tuition-free act for public universities in Liberia. This process entails the following: a) issue definition, b) agenda setting, c) policy formulation, d) policy adaptation, e) implementation, and f) evaluation.

Methodology: This study falls within the domain of the qualitative approach. Taylor (1997) underscored that critical policy analysis focuses on the outcome of historical and social contexts and power relations. Its analysis centers on the originality of the policy and its concerns about justice and equity in the policy process. The work evolves from a political context and should be rooted in ethics and indifference to neutrality and objectivity (Prunty, 1985). Data for the study will be collected from two sources: political and policy documents (official pronouncements, government statements, and core policy legislation; and media coverage (news articles, press releases, and public commentary on the initiative.

Significance and Contributions: The study will contribute to the Government of Liberia consideration for passing into law an “affordable higher education act” to meet the growing demand for higher education. The act will not just create access to affordable education. It will mitigate barriers to quality higher education, aid in the provision of employable workforce, reduce budgetary constraints on government, and strengthen the country’s higher education system. Furthermore, the study will contribute to creating a more robust legislative framework that draws insights from policymakers, advocacy groups and experts in higher education.

Key words: Political pronouncements, Liberia, tuition-free, and public university

Author

• Cornelius U-Sayee, University of South Carolina