6 New universities welcome news, but... (2)

The government's free senior high school (SHS) programme has led to a remarkable increase in enrolment, with official reports indicating a surge from 813,448 students in the 2016/17 academic year to 1.3 million in 2022/23.

This represents a significant growth, with an average annual enrolment of 422,940 students in the first six years of the policy, compared to 260,490 in the preceding six years.

As a result, approximately 2.5 million students have benefited from the free SHS policy between 2017/18 and 2022/23. However, this rapid expansion has put pressure on public tertiary institutions, leading to oversubscription and turning away potential applicants due to limited space.

The increase in SHS enrolment has created a bottleneck, highlighting the need for strategic planning and expansion of tertiary education infrastructure to accommodate the growing number of students seeking higher education.

To address this, the government has announced the establishment of six new public universities by the end of the year.

They are the University of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Akrodie, Ahafo Region; University of Engineering and Agricultural Science at Bunso, Eastern Region; University of Health, Agriculture, and Life Sciences at Kintampo, Bono East Region; University of Mampong, Ashanti Region; Local Governance and Leadership University in Accra; and University for Sports Development.

The Daily Graphic supports efforts to increase the number of graduates produced annually. However, we are wondering whether establishing new universities is the right approach, especially considering the current economic situation in the country.

First of all, scholars are sounding the alarm on the potential consequences of rapid expansion on the quality of graduates and their ability to access the job market.

Prof. Christine Adu-Yeboah of the University of Cape Coast, a former Executive Secretary of the National Council on Tertiary Education, argues that unplanned growth and inadequate investment in infrastructure, ageing faculty, and insufficient staff development are having a direct effect on the quality of graduates and their access to the job market.

Joined by Dr Paul Effah and Dr Ibrahim Oanda of the Mastercard Foundation, Prof. Adu-Yeboah further argued that the current emphasis on theoretical education without practical skills leaves graduates ill-prepared for the workforce.

 They contend that the system is producing "graduates with idle hands," and advocate a shift towards technical education, innovation and critical thinking.

Their concerns were echoed by Prof. Yayra Dzakadzie, Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), and Prof. Lydia Aziato, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho.

They were contributing to a research paper by Prof. Adu-Yeboah, Dr Adam Yunus of Baraka Policy Institute, and Dr Sarpong Lydia Aframea Dankyi on "Expanding Public Universities — Effect on Access, Quality and Sustainability."

The scholars' warnings are a timely reminder that expansion must be carefully managed to avoid compromising the quality of education and the employability of graduates.

Therefore, as the government moves forward with its plans, it must heed these concerns and ensure that graduates are equipped to succeed in the job market.

We also notice that most of the proposed universities have departments that already exist in other universities. For example, the University of Cape Coast (UCC) runs Bachelor of Education for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation (BEd HPER), while the University of Education Winneba (UEW) runs Bachelor of Education for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Sports (BEd HPERS).

This means that these two universities are already in a position to run programmes scheduled to be run by the University for Sports Development.

The Daily Graphic suggests that expanding existing universities might be a more viable option. Establishing new universities comes with significant challenges, including the need for substantial funding to build infrastructure, recruit faculty and develop new programmes.

This can be a heavy burden on the public purse, particularly in times of economic constraint. Moreover, building a new university from scratch requires significant time and effort, which may delay the intended goal of increasing access to tertiary education.

Expanding existing universities, on the other hand, offers a more efficient and cost-effective solution. Existing universities already have the infrastructure, faculty and programmes in place, which can be scaled up to accommodate more students.

This approach also allows for a more rapid increase in enrolment, as it builds on established institutions rather than starting from scratch.