Accreditation Board calls for strong regulatory regime

Mr Kwame Dattey, Executive Secretary of the National Accreditation Board (NAB), has called for the need to strengthen and empower the Board to enable it monitor and sanction tertiary institutions that do not conform to the laws.

NAB was operationalised by a legislative Instrument, (LI) 1984 (2010) that mandates it to monitor, develop guidelines and assess as well as award accreditation for tertiary institutions, offering diploma and degree education.

This mandate does not include prosecution.

Mr Dattey said a legislative reform, would enable NAB to “even close down non-accredited tertiary institutions that continue to operate and deceive unsuspecting public”.

Mr Dattey, speaking at a seminar on Wednesday in Accra, said a legislative reform is needed urgently to enable NAB to properly monitor the operations of all tertiary institutions that are scattered all over the country and ensure that they meet the requirement of providing standard tertiary education in Ghana.

He said NAB as established in 1993 by a PNDC Law 317, which was replaced by an Act of Parliament Act 2007, Act 744, is responsible for the accreditation of both public and private institutions as regards the contents and standards of their programmes.

NAB also determines the equivalences of diplomas, certificates and other qualifications awarded by institutions in the country or elsewhere while publishing as it considers appropriate, the list of accredited public and private institutions and programmes at the beginning of each calendar year.

The Board also advises the President on the grant of a Charter to a private tertiary institution.

Mr Dattey said these mandates ensure that the country’s tertiary education system continues to be responsive, in terms of quality and breadth, to the fast changing global education landscape.

He said so far, NAB oversee 187 tertiary institutions made up of nine public universities, public degree-awarding institutions, six professional institutions, one regionally owned university, three chartered private tertiary institutions and 60 private tertiary institution offering Degree/HND programmes.

There are also 11 tutorial colleges, 10 polytechnics, 39 public colleges of education, seven private colleges of education, three colleges of agriculture, 19 public nurses’ training colleges and five private nurses’ training colleges as well as 14 registered foreign tertiary institutions.

Mr Dattey expressed concern about the proliferation of many tertiary institutions including various law and journalism schools in the country and urged the institutions to get proper accreditation from NAB before beginning their operation.

He said at present, two institutions, namely Jayee University and Data Link University have been ceased from admitting new enrollment until they work to secure proper accreditation.

Mr Dattey urged the public to seek advice from NAB when applying for foreign tuition to ensure that such institutions, providing various professional courses and online education, are accredited or recognised by the Board.

He also asked the media to request for accreditation of particular tertiary institutions before they advertise them in the media.

He also advised the public to be wary of so-called institutions that offer and award honorary doctorates degrees, saying many of them have not been properly accredited by the state to do so.