GTEC Raises Red Flag Over Rising Number of Misaligned Academic Programs in Ghanaian Universities
Shaping the Future of Higher Education: A Call to Action for University Reforms
The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has expressed profound concerns regarding the proliferation of irrelevant academic programs at Ghana’s universities.
This trend, which has been observed particularly among public universities, has led to the introduction of new programs that fail to align with the country’s current needs.
According to GTEC, many of these programs are adopted without thorough consideration for local relevance, and are often replicated from foreign institutions without incorporating Ghanaian context or content. This lack of contextualization has resulted in programs that are ill-equipped to address the specific challenges facing the nation.
The Director-General of GTEC, Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, articulated his frustrations regarding this issue at the opening ceremony of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (GAAS) higher education project conference. The conference, which drew participants from academia and policy-making circles worldwide, focused on “Motivating Higher Education Reforms in GhanaβTowards Equity and Sustainability” under the broader theme, “Transforming Universities for 21st Century Africa.”
Prof. Jinapor emphasized that many of the new academic programs introduced in Ghana’s tertiary institutions lack relevance to the country’s developmental goals and are not tailored to address the specific challenges facing the nation. To address this, GTEC is working to introduce more rigorous approval processes for new programs to ensure that they meet both national and local needs.
The commission is also taking steps to address the challenges facing the higher education sector, including staffing shortages and inadequate infrastructure. As part of its efforts to improve staffing levels, GTEC has announced that the Ministry of Education has given financial clearance for the recruitment of 1,341 staff to replace those who have left the system.
Furthermore, GTEC has proposed that universities be allowed to automatically replace exited staff, under the commission’s supervision, to address staffing shortages. This move is aimed at ensuring that the sector has enough qualified personnel to meet the increasing demand for higher education in the country.
In addition to addressing staffing challenges, GTEC is also working to improve the quality of research and scholarly output in Ghana’s universities. The commission will host its first “GTEC Harmattan School” in 2025, a capacity-building event focused on scholarly research writing and grantsmanship.
The school will provide a platform for academics to enhance their research skills and engage with international experts in their fields. This initiative is part of GTEC’s efforts to promote excellence in research and scholarship in Ghana’s universities.
The concerns raised by GTEC and the proposals made during the GAAS conference highlight the urgent need for reform in Ghana’s higher education sector. As the country’s universities continue to grow, it is crucial that they focus on developing academic programs that are both locally relevant and responsive to the changing demands of society.
Ultimately, the transformation of Ghana’s higher education sector requires a collaborative effort from all stakeholders, including policymakers, academics, and industry leaders. By working together, Ghana can develop a higher education system that is equipped to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
Thank you for reading this article on GossipMotion.com, a premier news publishing website from Ghana. We appreciate your support and encourage you to share this article with your friends and family. Your engagement helps us continue to bring you the latest news and stories. Thank you!
"DISCLAIMER: Gossipmotion will respond to any and all take-down requests that comply with the requirements of the (DMCA). If you believe that a file that we uploaded to Gossipmotion infringes on your copyright then please contact jhuxtelloitech@gmail.com to submit a request."
