Ho, June 27, GNA - Professor John Aheto, Dean of the School of Business Management and Administration of the Central University College, on Friday said private universities would be among the best centres of scholarship within the next 10 years.

He said besides the apt student-lecturer ratios, the private tertiary institutions had integrated human development modules into the academic courses to meet the human resource needs of the country. Professor Aheto was presenting a paper on; "The Delivery of Quality Education: The Role of the Private Universities as Stakeholders in Ghana," to herald the second Student Representative Council (SRC) week of the EP University in Ho.

He said a student's determination to shine was more important than the physical infrastructure in the educational institution that students attended.

Professor Aheto, referring to his basic school days in a roofless school at Anyako in the Volta Region, said it would be out of place for students of the new EP University therefore, to regard their enrolment there as a last resort after cravings for others failed. "You must be proud to be here, to be selected over others and must decide to shine," he stated.

Professor Aheto said the main purpose of education "is to transform individuals within society, to prepare and qualify them for work in the economy as well as to integrate people into society and teach them societal values and morals".

He said education should not only improve the economic circumstances of the individual but must be of benefit to the larger society. Professor Aheto's 20 page paper also tackled cognitive levels of knowledge, self concept, critical thinking and reasoning. He said education should make one analytical, seek information, logical, open minded, empathetic and not self-opinionated. Professor Aheto said a critical thinker must be very reflective, knowing he had biases and must not be overly critical of other opinions since for every problem or situation there could be other realistic ways of coming at it.

Mr Joseph Amenowode, Volta Regional Minister, expressed dismay at deviant behaviours like rape, drug use, examination malpractices, occultism and gutter vocabulary currently associated with university environments in the country.

He took a swipe at people whose personal expectations, sometimes inordinate, and frustrations with their inabilities to contend with due processes pushed them to make slanderous allegations of incompetence against public officers in the media. Mr Amenowode promised to liaise with the relevant bodies to tackle some of the needs of the University, which according to Charles Adokor, SRC President, included hostels and buses.

Dr Samuel Buame, Registrar of the EP University, said the Institution's library, which had been adjudged as one of the best, received 3,025 books from Professor Aheto recently with a promise of more to come. Activities for the week, sponsored by Vodafone, include street processions, games and community work. 27 June 10