Admissions Won't Be Linked To Accommodation - Minister

Accra, (Greater Accra) 12 Nov.,

Admissions into tertiary institutions will not be linked to hostel placement as from next year, Dr. Christina Amoako- Nuama, Minister of Education, said today. She said the institutions will offer admissions into faculties and to academic programmes only and those who gain admission may then approach the management of the halls of residence and hostels for places. Dr. Amoako-Nuama said this at the fourth in the series of the ''Meet the press'' programme. She said the measure is a first step the government is taking to solve the problem of inadequate funding and facilities in tertiary institutions. ''This is one way in which we can concentrate government's limited resources on the academic facilities and improve them for the ever growing student numbers we need to cater for.'' On some of the problems facing the Senior Secondary School (SSS) programme, Dr. Amoako-Nuama noted that a majority of junior secondary school products who qualify for the programme concentrate their choice on old established schools thus making the selection exercise ''problematic''. She said government was considering efforts in making the new SSS programme attract more students as well as computerization through the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) in the selection process. Dr. Amoako-Nuama noted that the question of sustaining the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) programme will depend on defining the word ''free'' which is not (rpt not) defined by the constitution. This will help determine what aspects will require support to enable otherwise deprived students and children to benefit from the FCUBE. The minister said other problems at the pre-tertiary education level, in relation to technical and vocational education, include linkage of graduates of institutions with industrial establishments for practical training which has to be effectively tackled. On the issue of students entering teacher training colleges, the minister said a mechanism is being put in place to ensure that only students who are committed to the training programme are admitted. This is to stop the practice whereby students desert the training colleges after collecting their allowances for other tertiary institutions of their choice. On the Non-Formal Education Division programme, she said donor support for the first phase will end shortly. There is, therefore, the need for the NFED to adopt a cost- effective strategy to sustain the programme until a new source of funding is negotiated. Some of the steps to help sustain the NFED programme include encouraging communities to set up Community Adult Education Resource Centres in the next five years. Touching on the distance education programme, Dr. Amoako-Nuama said Ghana Telecom and the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation have agreed to help with the use of new communication technologies. She called on the minister of communications to help to involve the other private FM stations in the programme. Answering a question on returning mission schools to the churches and re-introducing Bible knowledge into the school curriculum to check the falling discipline in the schools, the minister said these issues are still under consideration. She said the question of checking the immoral behaviour of students is a responsibility of all stakeholders including parents, the communities and teachers.