THE Chairman of the Governing Council of Ghana Baptist University College, (GBUC) Professor Edwin Kwame Wiredu, has stressed the need for the government to extend financial support to students pursuing various programmes in private tertiary institutions just like those in the public schools.
Speaking on the theme, “tapping the potential of private universities in Ghana for job creation and national economic development”, during the second graduation ceremony of the Ghana Baptist University College in Kumasi, Professor Wiredu said “ since education is considered more of a right than a privilege, it is important that we consider an all-inclusive system of education that benefits every youth in Ghana”.
In all, 109 students were awarded certificates in Theology , Music Business Administration, Human Resource Management and Management, among other programmes.
Professor Wiredu said apart from parents paying taxes that went to support the educational sector, “ students in both private and public universities offer one year mandatory national service”, hence, the need to support every tertiary student financially .
He assured that the Council would establish an endowment fund that would enhance research work in the university to broaden the horizon of students.
He, therefore, charged the management of the school to establish a research committee that would not only work out modalities of the research programme, but would also source for sponsors to facilitate the establishment of the programme.
He said the Council had also given approval to pay 10 per cent of the fees of all Baptists who qualified to access tertiary education at the university.
Professor Wiredu said as part of the measures being taken to offer opportunity for students to study French as a second language, a multi-media centre was being established at the Citi Campus at Amakom.
Explaining, he said, the centre would “enhance teaching and learning of French and English through audio visual presentations”.
In his address, the President of the GBUC, Rev. Dr Kojo Osei-Wusuh, said from a humble beginning, the University College was now growing steadily.
He said measures had been established to enhance quality teaching and learning, explaining that apart from the increased classroom blocks provided to enhance effective lecturer-student interaction, hostel facilities had also been provided to ease accommodation for prospective students.
Rev. Dr Wusuh said the GBUC had also not only refurbished its library facility to enhance research work but was also upgrading its Internet facilities with the view to introducing e-library to ensure efficient teaching, learning and research for both students and the faculty.
He, therefore, urged students to take advantage of the facility to broaden their horizon.
He announced that the University was in the process of introducing Personnel Development Planning programme to equip students with “personal self-understanding and how to plan their career and life”, and pointed out that the programme was also intended to make students fully prepared and confident in their effort to overcome any challenge they may encounter as they developed their career.
For his part, the Presiding Bishop of Methodist Church Ghana, Most Rev. Professor Emmanuel Asante, commended private universities for their roles in expanding the enrolment of students at the tertiary level in the country .
He pointed out that “until the establishment of private universities which expanded access to higher education in Ghana, only 25-30 per cent of the total number of candidates who qualified each year for admission into the five public universities actually gained admission”.
He pointed out that evidence clearly pointed to the fact that higher education could produce both public and private benefits for individuals, including the enhancement of academic capacity, better employment prospect, as well as relatively higher salaries and a greater ability to save and invest.
On its benefits to the public, Most Rev. Professor Asante said “tertiary education can help economies develop and promote faster technological catch-up and improve a country’s ability to maximise its economic output”.
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