Rawlings stresses need for peace on University campuses

Cape Coast (C/R), April 8, GNA - President Jerry John Rawlings on Saturday observed that the readiness or otherwise of the private sector investment in the country's universities is related to the problem of instability on university campuses.

Investment, which is the prerequisite for development, requires peace and stability. President Rawlings was addressing the 30th congregation of the University of Cape Coast at which 2,000 graduates including 338 females were awarded various degrees and diplomas with 89 males and 19 females obtaining first class honours.

Mr Joseph Kojo Ansong, who obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics, was the over all best graduate. President Rawlings emphasised the need for staff and students of the universities to do everything possible to avoid episodes of unrest or interruption of the functions at "these important institutions".

Such situations undermine the confidence of potential investors, who could help to provide some of the needs of the universities. He made particular reference to the recent disturbances over the examination grading system at the UCC, which led to its closure and commended the UCC authorities for the quick measures they took to bring things back to normalcy.

President Rawlings stressed the need for lecturers to be pro-active and respond positively to genuine concerns of students in the interest of effective teaching and learning and urged the students, on the other hand, to seek redress to their grievances through appropriate channels.

All institutions of higher learning strive to become centres of excellence and it is, therefore, expected that they should periodically review their research and teaching programmes as well as their grading system to maintain the worth of their degrees.

President Rawlings advised the students not to view the current grading system as a means of setting unattainable standards for them but to understand it as a measure for the improvement of the qualitative value of the university's degrees to conform to international standards.

He commended the Valco Trust Fund for its plan to construct a 224-roomed hostel for post-graduate students. The Social Security and National Trust Fund (SSNIT) was also praised for its plans to construct hostels for undergraduates.

Other organisations, especially those who would need the skilled manpower from the universities to invest in their infrastructure development. The President touched on the forthcoming meeting of the Association of Commonwealth Universities at the UCC and said it is an important development in the internationalisation of efforts of the country's universities.

He said the issue of the internationalisation of academic activities brings to mind the need to maintain internationally accepted academic standards particularly at a time when the world has become a competitive global village, in which mediocrity has no place.

President Rawlings charged the staff and students of UCC to make use of opportunities that the forthcoming meeting would offer them and exchange ideas, which would lead to mutually beneficial inter-university collaboration in the field of research as well as exchange programmes.

He advised the graduates to be hard working and disciplined and to engage in continuous education in order to succeed in today's competitive world. They should acknowledge the huge investment made in them by their parents and society at large and endeavour to exhibit a higher sense of patriotism by accepting postings to areas where they would be most needed during their national service.

President Rawlings urged them to strive to repay loans grated them to enable other students to benefit and called on SSNIT to remove bottlenecks and delays associated with the release of the loans to ensure that students receive them on time.

Prof. Samuel Adjepong, Vice Chancellor of UCC, expressed concern about the lack of adequate teaching staff and infrastructure facilities at the UCC. He regretted that the UCC has to "re-cycle" its teaching staff due to the fact that for the past nine years, it has not been successful in recruiting a single lecturer or professor with the appropriate degree needed.

Prof. Adjepong called for a holistic and comprehensive approach to re-vitalise the universities to motivate the teaching staff and make their career attractive to facilitate the country's human resource development.