Private-Public collaboration - Key to quality education

Mr. Henry Ford Kamel, Volta Regional Minister at the weekend said the interplay between private and public sector was critical to accelerating the pace of quality education and human resource development.

He said despite greater efforts by government, there were still gaps to be filled and the call for the private sector to explore avenues and invest in the human resource development of the country was not misplaced.

Mr Kamel, in a speech read on his behalf, said these during the 2012 registration of first batch of 100 students of the Shield Pre-University College (SPUC) at Hohoe.

The College is a private institution with the vision to become a centre of excellence for comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, advance and pre-professional training for sustainable livelihood, anchored on community development in Ghana, Africa and the rest of the world.

Mr. Kamel said developed economies including Britain, US, Japan and recently China, had quickened their developmental pace due to the calibre and availability of human resources they produce.

He said successive governments had devoted a huge chunk of their Gross Domestic Products (GDPs) to improve the educational sector evidenced in the Capitation Grant, School Feeding Programme, free books, uniforms, and the recent heavy investment into the abolishing of “school-under-trees” programme.

The Regional Minister commended the Board of SPUC for nurturing this dream to fruition, exhorting them to make the institute creditable and distinguished.

Mr. Emmanuel Keteku, Volta Regional Director of Education, urged the students to be disciplined in all spheres and leave positive foot-prints in their trail as pioneering batch.

Mr. Keteku indicated the world had gone beyond recording knowledge to its acquisition, and thirst for action-packed, achievement-oriented, self-motivation and the deployment of rapid decision-making, stressing that “competition on the global stage waits for no man or country.”

Mr. Reuben Kornu, Principal Superintendent of SPUC, said the college was an ICT-based pre-university, determined to serve the needs of business and industry by deploying its resources to solve economic, environmental and social challenges.

SPUC currently offers programmes in Advance Business Certificate in Business Administration, Advance Business Certificate in Accounting, Advance Business Certificate in Marketing and Advance Business Certificate in Information Communication Technology.

Mr. Kornu said plans were afoot to upgrade the College into full-fledged University within the next three-years when granted full accreditation status.

Programmes to be undertaken include ICT, Health Insurance Management, Human Resource management, Administration (marketing, accounting and finance and agri-business).

He said their immediate challenge was availability of land space and appealed to traditional authorities, clans and individuals in the Hohoe Municipality to come to their aid.

Professor Thompson Kumekpor, Board Chairman of SPUC, said the College demonstrated a unique situation to reach-out to students who otherwise might not get the chance to further their education.

He said it prided itself for affordability and proximity.

Mr. Yusif Mustafa, representative of students, pledged to abide by the rules of engagement, saying as “they go through the school, the school will also go through them.”

Togbega Sasraku II, Paramount Chief of Tsrukpe Traditional Area, who presided, said leadership was not a beauty contest; neither was it a popularity race and urged students to aspire to greater heights in the pursuit of their education.