Private Universities in Ghana are still under the pressure following the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is according to the Chancellor of the Ghana Baptist University College (GBUC), who said his school is not an exception.
He expressed concern over how most parents whose wards attend private universities cannot pay fees- a situation he said is impacting teaching and learning negatively.
He has thus called on the Government to support and give attention to Private Universities to help them contribute their quota to national development.
Reverend Dr. Adu-Gyamfi made the call at the 13th Congregation of the Abuakwa campus of the Ghana Baptist University College (GBUC) which was themed “Is the current Educational System Adequate for the need of Industry”.
He said “The effects of COVID-19 have had tremendous effects on all facets of life in this country and across the world, and University Education is not an exception. Our University has gone through its challenges in terms of the ability of students even to pay their fees because parents are struggling. The ability to raise the needed money even from the Church is also affected. So giving to the Church for us to support the University has not been what it is. So we are appealing to Government to give attention to Private Universities as much as it has given support to Public Universities to also consider some support to Private Universities just to cushion them for them to be able to stabilize and to help with the human resource development of our country.”
He explained that Private Universities are seeking support from the Government in terms of faculty training, such as the provision of scholarships to uplift the quality of teachers in these Universities.
He maintained that there was the need to reshape the lecturers to make University Education much more relevant to the Industry by helping them provide the needed skills and resources to students.
Presidential Charter
President of the GBUC, Professor Joseph Oteng-Adjei presenting his report at the ceremony, revealed that the University in keeping with the new directive from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) on obtaining a Presidential Charter, was packaging itself for the Charter by August 2024.
He appealed for support from companies, individuals, churches, and other benevolent institutions to establish a second science school, improvement in the Faculty strength by engaging additional senior lecturers and professors, enhancing faculty development, and publications, building the University’s endowment fund significantly.
Professor Joseph Oteng-Adjei further said Management in the short to medium term will give attention to the collaboration with Churches, partnerships for investment in hotels; collaboration with International Baptist Universities, and Partnership with Georgia Allied Institute in Atlanta, Georgia.
A total of 479 students who had satisfied the course requirements moderated by the University of Cape Coast (UCC) graduated from GBUC.