Public universities urged to revert to their mandate

Accra, June 22, GNA - Daasebre Professor Emeritus Oti Boateng, Omanhene of New Juaben Traditional Area has called on authorities of public universities in the country to revert to their traditional mandate of establishment.

He said it was important for the universities to revert to their mandates in view of the advancement in knowledge and changing demands in the country's economy.

"University of Cape Coast should revert to its original mandate of producing graduate teachers, University of Ghana for the applied arts and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology for the sciences, " he added.

Daasebre Oti Boateng made the call at a lecture organised as part of activities marking the Golden Jubilee Anniversary celebration of Commonwealth Hall, University of Ghana, Legon in Accra. Speaking on the theme "Fifty Years of Academic Excellence and Human Resource Development in Ghana" Daasebre Oti Boateng, noted that there had been competition among the universities in the course of study. He said as a nation aspiring to achieve a middle income status by 2015, there was the need for policy makers to mainstream human resource development in the Ghana's development agenda to move her from the current state of poverty and deprivation.

Daasebre Oti Boateng said the remarkable successes achieved by China and the Asian Tigers were due to sound and effective educational reforms embarked upon by governments in those countries. He said there was the need for Ghana to move away from her colonial legacy of grammar-type of education to a more scientific and sound technological one to accelerate growth.

"Tertiary institutions should combine formal and close linkages with industries to help design and deliver relevant programmes in view of the content of courses in the universities," he added. Daasebre Oti Boateng said available statistics indicated that the informal sector employed 80 per cent of work force therefore, it was important to concentrate on vocational and technical education to meet the increasingly demand in the sector.

He said the National Accreditation Board and National Board for Professional and Technician Examinations should be well resourced to carry out their roles and functions to tertiary institutions. Daasebre Oti Boateng said the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) should in addition; carry out periodic manpower surveys, to provide the manpower projections for all sectors of the economy.

"This would guide admissions into some programmes offered in tertiary institutions geared towards socio-economic development," he added. He called on authorities of tertiary institutions to liaise with industries and other businesses to set up standards for skills acquisition and co-ordination of research. Nana Akuoku Sarpong, Omanhene of Agogo Traditional Area, said quality education should constitute the bedrock of Ghana's development agenda.

"Our success as a nation would depend on quality education," he added. He noted that authorities of universities in the country had lost focus on their mandate of establishment. GNA