We need to close gap between post-secondary, university — Haruna Iddrisu

The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has tasked the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to consider the establishment of “another layer” between senior high school and university education.

“Now that all polytechnics have become universities, don't you think that another layer will be for us to have a polytechnic in each region in the country?” he asked.

Mr Iddrisu, who was speaking at the inauguration of the Paul Effah multi-purpose conference facility in Accra, therefore, directed the Chairman of the GTEC Council, Prof. Mahama Duwiejua, to put a team together to advise the government based on references and reliable data.

He said filling the gap between post-secondary and university education would help equip beneficiaries with the necessary technical skills for the job market.

“So, maybe your council will want to look into this and give the President a blueprint,” the minister said, adding that such a layer would also expand access to higher education.

Facility

The 600-capacity multi-purpose conference facility is equipped to host a wide range of events, including seminars, conferences, workshops, annual general meetings and other social gatherings.

The facility, which is also ideal for breakout sessions, has additional halls named after executive secretaries of the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE) and the current Director-General of GTEC. They are Nikoi Kotey Hall, Kwame Dattey Hall and Ahmed Jinapor Hall.

Transparency

Mr Iddrisu also urged public universities to exhibit transparency and accountability, particularly in the use of their internally generated funds (IGF).

“Their internally generated funds are of interest to government,” he said and, therefore, urged GTEC to demand more from universities.

The minister said, although universities often complained of the lack of adequate funding, “some of them may have money sitting in their accounts, or money that may just be enough to build a business”.

“Yet, they say they do not have money.

There might be sufficient money sitting in a bank account in the name of the universities, which could be invested in a hostel or lecture theatre facility,” he said.

On the issue of universities producing enough to feed industries, Mr Iddrisu said: “That disconnect will need you as a regulator to look at without compromising the time, vision and mission of the universities and what they were established to do.”

Commitment

Mr Iddrisu further said that the government was committed to providing free higher education for all persons with disability.

In line with that, he said his outfit had put together a four-member committee, which is being co-chaired by the Deputy Minister of Education, Clement Apaak, and the President of the Federation of PWDs, Joseph Atsu Homadzie.

“What we need is verifiable data in order to expand access to higher education for marginalised groups in the country,” the minister added.