Passage of controversial Public Universities Bill put on hold

The controversial Public Universities Bill, which is under consideration in Parliament, has been put on hold.

According to a Citi News report, Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament, Peter Nortsu Kotoe, made the revelation during an interview.

“The Akatsi North MP said the Bill is not part of the Bills being considered before Parliament goes on recess in the coming weeks. According to him, the Education Committee of Parliament had recommended that there was a need for further deliberations to be held before the Bill is considered,” the Citi News report explained.

Individuals and groups had been calling on the government to withdraw the Public Universities Bill 2020 because it will stifle academic freedom.

Some critics have even called the bill unconstitutional.

The decision to put the bill on hold a month after President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said the bill cannot be disputed.

The President told Accra-based Oman FM that the Bill will simplify the management of public universities in the country.

“One of the things with our educational system which has caused a lot of talks recently is the Public Universities Bill we introduced. We are trying to rationalize how the public universities will operate. The basic thrust of the Bill and the rationale for it is incontestable. We have public universities in Ghana, each one of them having almost different charters and running differently. We will now rationalise it and have a more simplified management administration of the schools,” he said.