VCTU-G urges balance between GTEC oversight, university autonomy

The Vice-Chancellors of Technical Universities of Ghana (VCTU-G) have called for a balanced approach to the governance of tertiary education. 

This is to ensure that the regulatory oversight mandate of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) coexists with the institutional autonomy of public universities within Ghana’s legal framework.

They said recent tensions in the tertiary education sector, including calls for the resignation of the Director-General and Deputy Director-General of GTEC, required careful reflection and constructive engagement by all stakeholders.

They also stressed that institutional autonomy was fundamental but must be exercised within national legal and regulatory boundaries that provided checks and balances in the collective national interest.

Legal basis

A statement signed by the Executive Secretary of the Vice VCTU-G, Joseph Mensah Oti-Asirifi, said the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023) conferred statutory regulatory and oversight responsibilities on the GTEC.

According to the statement, GTEC was mandated to regulate, monitor and coordinate tertiary education institutions to ensure compliance with national standards and policies.

At the same time, the statement explained that public universities, including technical universities, were established by individual Acts of Parliament that guarantee institutional autonomy.

“These Acts vest authority in Governing Councils, academic boards and management structures to govern academic, administrative and financial matters in accordance with their statutes,” the statement said.

The Vice-Chancellors said this dual legal framework was designed to balance independence and accountability in the tertiary education system, ensuring that universities operate freely while aligning with national development objectives.

The VCTU-G reaffirmed its strong belief in institutional autonomy, including the authority and discretion of Governing Councils to manage internal affairs and govern their institutions in line with their respective statutes.

However, the statement emphasised that such autonomy was neither unfettered nor absolute, adding that it was exercised within a national legal and regulatory framework that provided for checks and balances in the collective national interest and the tertiary education system.

The Vice-Chancellors stressed that universities must exercise their autonomy responsibly, in a manner consistent with national laws, policies and regulatory standards that promote transparency, accountability and equity across the sector.

Stakeholder concerns

The statement acknowledged that staff, unions and other stakeholder groups within the tertiary education system had legitimate concerns regarding governance, conditions of service, funding, infrastructure and the overall health of the sector.

It said the concerns were important and deserved attention, but cautioned that actions that risked destabilising the system could undermine the progress of the sector and negatively affect students and staff.

The statement also pointed to recent adversarial encounters and public threats against the leadership of GTEC as developments that could erode trust and disrupt constructive engagement within the sector.

Call for calm

The VCTU-G urged all stakeholders to withdraw threats and de-escalate tensions, emphasising the need for sustained dialogue and structured engagement among regulators, university authorities and organised labour.

They called for collective responsibility in resolving disputes and addressing challenges, noting that confrontation and head-on collisions should not be the way forward.