Andy, you sound like one of the proverbial blind men who was taken to figure out what the elephant looked like. Why the hell are you speaking for the "West". In the US, unlike Ghana, the Federal government does not decide for ... read full comment
Andy, you sound like one of the proverbial blind men who was taken to figure out what the elephant looked like. Why the hell are you speaking for the "West". In the US, unlike Ghana, the Federal government does not decide for the universities how to compensate professors (except New York and California, to a limited extent by the state government). The decision on what incentives to give professors depend on the universities and, in particular, the deans. Therefore, different universities have different incentive programs. Second, in the US, PROFESSORS DO NOT BUY BOOKS. They get their textbooks free of charge from the publishers. I know because I am teaching in the fourth university in the US. Oftentimes, professors in the US only get to know about new editions when they receive them from the publishers. No one sends books to Ghanaian professors. No publisher even has a database on them. Again with publications, different schools do different things; some schools give research incentive money. How it works; you publish, provide a copy to your dean and receive an scholarship incentive. In some schools, like mine, there is no cap to the number of award one can receive. So, you can get 10 different checks for 10 publications. Do not make it look as if asking for book allowance is some stupid, greedy demand. Your reference to Norway (if that is where you live) is unthoughtful. Do you know how this is packaged into their annual pay? Stop making lose statements without substantiating them. You call book allowances to lecturers dole outs. That's unfortunate. Take a look at the long list of real dole outs to these semiliterate NDC ministers before you come again.
Joe Krokroh 10 years ago
Did you just want to brag about your knowledge of what pertains in the US? I think you are a big fool. This is not about pedestrian politics that has no consideration for the national interest. It is about how to solve a pro ... read full comment
Did you just want to brag about your knowledge of what pertains in the US? I think you are a big fool. This is not about pedestrian politics that has no consideration for the national interest. It is about how to solve a problem that confronts Ghana as a nation. It is also not about taking away payments to university teachers. It is rather more about how to structure the process to ensure research in our universities improves teaching and learning and become central to development. It would have been better to come out with your suggestions on the matter, that way we would have been getting somewhere. If you have a brain in your head, let’s hear some sense from you.
Kwame Angel 10 years ago
Joe Krokro or whatever, yours is even more empty that the one you are criticizing . I guess your brain is more empty. I have read the two pieces. I think the point the Turkey is making is that, you can not compare apples to o ... read full comment
Joe Krokro or whatever, yours is even more empty that the one you are criticizing . I guess your brain is more empty. I have read the two pieces. I think the point the Turkey is making is that, you can not compare apples to oranges. And you can not talk about things you do not know. The reference to the west and Norway was senseless. You don't compare lecturers in Ghana to those in Norway or USA because the circumstances are different. At least that was a starting point for any discussion on the solution to the problem. And until that solution is found, you don't expect lecturers to continue using their meager salaries to purchases the resources they need to do effective teaching and research. Krokroh, you ended up being the biggest fool of the three - you, Andy and Turkey.
Pascalini 10 years ago
Over the years, lecturers who took the research allowances have turned out no research findings, investing the money rather in unrelated businesses! What a waste! Serious researchers can assess the funds from a competitive po ... read full comment
Over the years, lecturers who took the research allowances have turned out no research findings, investing the money rather in unrelated businesses! What a waste! Serious researchers can assess the funds from a competitive pool.
SUNKWA 10 years ago
THAT IS WHAT THE B&R FUNDS HAVE BECOME AS FEW, IF ANY, UNIVERSITY LECTURERS REALLY UNDERTAKE INDEPENDENT RESEARCH. OUR EGGHEADS ARE FRUSTRATED BECAUSE THE WINDOW IS BEING SHUT ON HANDOUT SALES AT THE SAME TIME THEY ARE BEING ... read full comment
THAT IS WHAT THE B&R FUNDS HAVE BECOME AS FEW, IF ANY, UNIVERSITY LECTURERS REALLY UNDERTAKE INDEPENDENT RESEARCH. OUR EGGHEADS ARE FRUSTRATED BECAUSE THE WINDOW IS BEING SHUT ON HANDOUT SALES AT THE SAME TIME THEY ARE BEING ASKED TO GET SERIOUS WITH ACADEMIC RESEARCH. MY ADVICE: ACCEPT THAT CHANGE IS HERE AND NOT FOR TEACHER TRAINEES ONLY. RATHER THAN TALK OF STRIKE, PROVE YOUR ELITE CREDENTIALS IN MORE CONSTRUCTIVE CHANNELS.
Kofi, South Africa 10 years ago
Truth be told, the research and book allowance is merely a means to supplement the incomes of academics in Ghana. That is what it is. Ghanaians like pretending too much. Honestly, there is no way one can dole out monies acros ... read full comment
Truth be told, the research and book allowance is merely a means to supplement the incomes of academics in Ghana. That is what it is. Ghanaians like pretending too much. Honestly, there is no way one can dole out monies across board and expect any meaningful outcomes. In South Africa where I teach at the University, research incentives are tied to the productivity of academics. The fact is some academics are deadwood. They don't publish. It is a waste therefore to give someone who doesn't publish nor read the same amount as the other who is an active researcher. What is the motivation for hard work? Some lecturers elect to spend their energies on non-academic pursuits just to supplement their incomes. Others also work hard trying to publish so they can advance their careers why should they all be painted with the same brush? the present system is insane and must be scrapped. Let us for once be truthful. The system is broken!
Victor Yankah 10 years ago
Just shut up! Stop spewing this sublime mysticism and nonsense if you don't know the real issues on the ground.
Just shut up! Stop spewing this sublime mysticism and nonsense if you don't know the real issues on the ground.
Andy, you sound like one of the proverbial blind men who was taken to figure out what the elephant looked like. Why the hell are you speaking for the "West". In the US, unlike Ghana, the Federal government does not decide for ...
read full comment
Did you just want to brag about your knowledge of what pertains in the US? I think you are a big fool. This is not about pedestrian politics that has no consideration for the national interest. It is about how to solve a pro ...
read full comment
Joe Krokro or whatever, yours is even more empty that the one you are criticizing . I guess your brain is more empty. I have read the two pieces. I think the point the Turkey is making is that, you can not compare apples to o ...
read full comment
Over the years, lecturers who took the research allowances have turned out no research findings, investing the money rather in unrelated businesses! What a waste! Serious researchers can assess the funds from a competitive po ...
read full comment
THAT IS WHAT THE B&R FUNDS HAVE BECOME AS FEW, IF ANY, UNIVERSITY LECTURERS REALLY UNDERTAKE INDEPENDENT RESEARCH. OUR EGGHEADS ARE FRUSTRATED BECAUSE THE WINDOW IS BEING SHUT ON HANDOUT SALES AT THE SAME TIME THEY ARE BEING ...
read full comment
Truth be told, the research and book allowance is merely a means to supplement the incomes of academics in Ghana. That is what it is. Ghanaians like pretending too much. Honestly, there is no way one can dole out monies acros ...
read full comment
Just shut up! Stop spewing this sublime mysticism and nonsense if you don't know the real issues on the ground.