Meridian students deserve fair deal

The advent of private universities in the country was necessitated by the inability of the public ones to admit the many qualified applicants over the years.  

Thus many were those who welcomed the arrival of the private universities as a great relief. 

From the days that the Valley View University, the premier private university, came on the scene, there have been many others that have lived up to their names as universities. 

Mention can be made of the Central University College, which has made strides unprecedented by many universities; the Ashesi University College, the university that is highly respected both locally and internationally; the Methodist, Catholic and Presbyterian University colleges which have shown since their establishment that they are in to contribute their quota to the provision of top-class university education to the many qualified Ghanaians who are unable to gain admission to the public universities.

While these and many more have lived up to their call, others have not performed as expected of tertiary institutions, a development which leaves one asking whether all the institutions and bodies that are charged to approve the setting up of universities conducted due diligence before they gave such institutions the green light to operate.

Currently, in the populous Central Region town of Kasoa is the Meridian University College (MUC) whose 300 students are at the crossroads because the management of the college, for the first time in Ghana’s educational history, has decided to dissolve the university.  

According to the management, it was facing financial difficulties arising probably out of their inability to attract more students whose fees would have contributed in large measure to the sustenance of the university.

As we write, the MUC has set out a programme to finally close down the university.

The Daily Graphic finds it strange that the National Accreditation Board (NAB), which is responsible for giving approval for the setting up of educational institutions of that nature, and the University of Cape Coast (UCC), to which the MUC is affiliated, say they have not been informed of the decision of the MUC to close down.

Our major concern is over the fate of the 300 students of the university. Although the MUC says it has put in place a plan to run a seven-week sandwich programme to enable the students to complete the academic year, it is left to be seen what happens to the students after they have been taken through it.

The NAB and the UCC owe it as a moral responsibility to go to the aid of the unfortunate students who have already threatened to resort to court action if they do not receive a proper deal from the school authorities.

We understand that the management of the university has scheduled to meet today. This is a crunch meeting and we expect it to come up with decisions that will allay the fears of the students. 

We expect that there will be representation from the NAB, the UCC and the student body to make its conclusions acceptable to all parties. 

The MUC’s plight should serve as a lesson to the NAB, the UCC and, indeed, all other established tertiary institutions. 

Education is so important to national development that it should not be left in incapable hands.