gtuc direct students to go for voluntary test on coronavirus

The authorities of the Ghana Technology University College ( GTUC ) have directed that all students as well as others seeking admission to the college should be properly tested for the coronavirus (COVID -19 ) at recognised medical facilities before setting foot on its campuses in the country.

The directive which was announced at the matriculation of the college at its Koforidua campus on Saturday (March 14) was to ensure that no student with the virus was allowed on the campus.

The Vice-President of the College, Professor Isaac Abeku Blankson, who issued the directive, emphasised that the college was taking steps since it had foreign students coming from countries such as The Gambia and the United Kingdom ( UK ) as well as partners worldwide.

“As part of the directive, we have provided and recommended alcohol sanitisers on our campuses in Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi and Ho. We hope to prevent the virus on our campuses should any student show signs of the disease,” Professor Blankson stated.

Professor Blankson appealed to the GHS to step up its preparedness by monitoring on a daily basis for the necessary precautionary measures to be followed to prevent Ghanaians being infected with the disease.

He advised the foreign students of the GTUC to go for regular self quarantine whenever they returned to Ghana from their respective countries because of the COVID-19.

New students

In all 99 fresh students made up of 78 males and 21 females were admitted to pursue programmes at the Diploma and Degree levels.

The number brings the total number of undergraduate students to 8,266, comprising 211 foreigners from 14 countries and 8,053 Ghanaians.

Education is honesty

Professor Blankson told the fresh students that education was not just about the acquisition of knowledge but it engendered honesty, respect, equality and compassion and therefore, was the awareness of knowing about what, why, when, where and how of anything.

He explained that the GTUC was embedded in all aspects of teaching and learning which made the college’s quest for knowledge more interactive, easy and fun for students.

Students empowerment

According to him, email course-base website and computer-base chart rooms were some of the technology-enabled resources that were use by the university to empower the students to search for knowledge through constant learning and innovation.

Professor Blankson told the students that the Ghana Technology University Bill (2017) would soon be passed by Parliament to enable the GTUC to become a fully-fledged public university.

He expressed the hope that the GTUC would go public this year and that the concerted effort of junior and senior members for such a dream would soon become a reality.

Scholarship

On financial aid to students, Professor Blankson said Barclays Bank had selected the college as one of its beneficiary universities for a scholarship scheme to select students each academic year, and the tenure of the scholarship for a beneficiary would be for one academic year renewable on academic performance.

The scholarship package, he stated, covered academic facility user and hostel fees, all other approved fees, a laptop and feeding allowance.

According to the Vice-President of the GTUC , discussions were far advanced between management and external partners to secure a new site in Accra for the growth and expansion of the university so that it would be able to accommodate the growing number of students.

Professor Blankson, therefore, encouraged the fresh students to learn hard and write exams that would be devoid of malpractices and dishonesty.