The University of Cape Coast (UCC) and the Cape Coast Technical University have expressed their readiness to absorb the expected huge numbers of free Senior High School (SHS) graduates this year.

The two universities are therefore appealing for the completion of some GetFund projects which are at various stages of completion before the beginning of the 2020/2021 academic year.

In all, there are 14 ongoing GetFund projects at the two Universities with 11 at UCC and three at the CCTU, but many of them have stalled due to lack of funds.

According to UCC authorities, three of such projects, many of which were started five years ago, would be critical to the successful intake of the expected numbers of prospective students from the batch of the free SHS programme.

They include; the construction of classroom blocks at the university’s medical school, construction of laboratories at the faculty of science annex, School of Business and the library.

This came to light when the Deputy Minister of Education in-Charge of Tertiary Education, Professor Kwesi Yankah paid a working visit to UCC and the Cape Coast Technical University (CCTU) to assess their preparedness to absorb the expected huge numbers of free SHS graduates.

At UCC, the minister inspected the construction of a 4,600 capacity lecture theatre and a 25 unit three storey building lecture theatre being funded by the Internal Generated Funds (IGF) of the university.

He also inspected the construction of classroom blocks, laboratories and library at the medical School being funded by GetFund and expressed the commitment of the Government to complete the abandoned projects to ensure smooth take off of the much anticipated 2020 admissions.

The Minister was full of praise for UCC for the several initiatives undertaken in preparation for the 2020 admissions in-spite of the challenges with respect to stalled GetFund projects.

“The university have used its IGF optimally to good effect to offset what would have been huge infrastructural deficit. The extent the university has gone in putting up two major monumental classroom blocks is commendable and gives a sense of relief with respect to infrastructure”, he said.

Prof Yankah stated that there were a considerable number of clearance for lecturers and staff to be recruited at the universities to offset the potential imbalance of staff at the Universities.

Professor Joseph Ghartey-Ampiah, Vice Chancellor of UCC said the university was preparing fervently for the 2020 intake and had since constructed 9,600 capacity lecture theatres.

At the CCTU, the Minister inspected all three GetFund projects: a 2,000 capacity auditorium for the university, a laboratory and a mechanical engineering block.

Professor, Joshua Danso Owusu-Sekeyere, Vice Chancellor of CCTU also complained of inadequate hostel facilities, as the available facility at the university could only accommodate 10 percent of the students.

Prof. Owusu-Sekyere said the university expected its intake to quadruple with the influx of free SHS graduates in August this year, but stressed that it could be over stretched beyond its limit, if its accommodation challenges were not addressed.