Focus on building strong basic educational system

Professor Kofi Sraku-Lartey, President of the Saint Margaret University College, has underlined the need to focus efforts on strengthening the country’s basic educational system, to effectively support tertiary education.

He cautioned that unless this was done, “we shall continue to blame the universities for failing us”.

“Developing countries, similar to ours, are able to advance, because over the years they have developed high rates of literacy, and can boast of about 30 per cent enrolment in tertiary education.”

Prof Sraku-Lartey, speaking at the maiden matriculation ceremony held by the College at Feyiase, in the Bosomtwe District, said the reality of Ghana’s situation where tertiary enrollment was just over 10 per cent, needed to radically change.

He said for any meaningful development, enrollment should go up to at least 25 per cent, and would require that the tertiary institutions absorbed in excess of 300,000 students every year.

This is something the public institutions alone cannot achieve, and therefore, the need to encourage and support private sector participation right from the kindergarten to the tertiary level.

Twenty students - 15 males and five females were admitted to pursue programmes in Bachelor of Science (B. Sc) Degree in computer science, business administration, quantity surveying and development planning

The occasion also marked the official inauguration of the University College.

Prof Sraku-Lartey said the nation should give priority to training the relevant manpower, to efficiently manage the resources and the environment, to bring rapid socio-economic progress.

Former Vice Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Professor Kwasi Kwafo Adarkwah, who chairs the interim Council of the University College, asked the students to work hard to live their dreams.

It should not be lost on them, why they were in the institution, and should make the most of their time there.

Madam Margaret Oteng, Founder, said the goal is to make the College a centre of academic excellence.