Education ministry on course with research fund

The Ministry of Education (MoE) on Thursday rolled-out procedures that will lead to the establishment of the National Research Fund to ensure that lecturers are paid their research allowance.

A MoE statement signed by Mr Paul Kofi Krampa, Director Public Relations and copied to the Ghana News Agency said the National Council for Tertiary Education under the auspices of the Ministry organized a dissemination workshop for the stakeholders in the tertiary education sector to deliberate on the issue.

The statement said the stakeholders evaluated the final report and recommendations presented by the Professor Daniel Mireku-Gyimah Committee in April this year.

It said a Deputy Minister for Education, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa who spoke at the workshop underscored the need for Ghana to establish the research fund to develop knowledge in solving developmental issues confronting the nation.

It stated that Mr Ablakwa assured the participants of the Ministry’s preparedness to implement the final recommendations in the report and requested that the stakeholders exhibited good faith in order to produce a comprehensive recommendation that would be in the interest of the nation.

It said the forum discussed among other things sources of the fund, eligibility criteria and management of the fund. Representatives from the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana (POTAG) among other stakeholders were at the workshop.

It noted that all parties present at the workshop expressed their commitment towards the successful implementation of the fund and more importantly, how it could be sustained.