Provide opportunities for higher education - Baah-Wiredu

Accra Feb 26, GNA - The Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu has enjoined the Accra City Campus of the University of Ghana not to lose sight of the responsibility to provide the opportunity for higher education for the poor and lowly paid workers of the country.

"It should not be tempted to charge the type of fees that some of the so- called prestigious institutions are charging. The city campus should not measure its success by how much profit it makes. It must remain the campus of hope " he stressed.


Mr Baah-Wiredu made these remarks when he formally launched the Accra City Campus {ACC} of the Varsity of Ghana, in the company of Miss Elizabeth Ohene, Minister in charge of Tertiary Education; the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Kwadwo Asenso-Okyere and the Chancellor, Oyeeman Wereko Ampem.


The Education Minister presented 20 computers and 10 printers worth 61,275 dollars to the University.


He said he was pleased with the University of Ghana's initiative to undertake comprehensive external degree disciplines since this was in line with the Government's policy of ensuring greater access to higher education.


Mr Wiredu said it was very crucial that the quality of education on offer remained the highest standard to ensure that the confidence of the public was retained to bring about positive educational dividend. He urged authorities of the University to ensure that results and performances of graduates were regularly published.

The Minister praised the past students of the college for their hard work and dedication and urged its present students to be more purposeful and committed to their studies.


Mr Baah-Wiredu said the strategic location of the university would bring enormous relief to interested workers.


The Minister said the doors of the Ministry were always open to school administrators and graduates alike, adding that the policy would help push education to a more satisfactory level to prop the economy and social structures to improve on the welfare of all and sundry.


The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana Professor Kwadwo Assenso- Okyere in his opening remarks stated that under Globalisation knowledge has become the wellspring, the energy for the country's economic and social development.


This he noted made it imperative for higher education institutions to become innovative high quality powerhouses of knowledge production churning out knowledgeable, competent and skilled graduates that were nurtured to be long-life learners.

The Vice -Chancellor indicted that one of the fundamental purposes of higher education change was the mobilization of human talent and potential through life long learning to contribute to the social, economic, cultural and intellectual life of the rapidly changing society.


The Vice Chancellor said the campus was the University's maiden contribution to higher education in the country and would be replicated in most regional capital so that the University could reach all corners of the country


He said the birth of Accra City Campus was re-assessing the needs of the working class and in the context of the University's own objective of getting closer to the community and engaging the society for rapid socio economic development.


In his welcoming address Nana Wereko Apem, Chancellor of the University of Ghana, said the University's aspiration was to become a multiversity of colleges in future and called on all stakeholders to manifest their interest and bring this dream to reality.


Nana Apem said the inauguration of Accra City Campus was going to change all that workers and other people, who in the past could only study part-time now have the opportunity to study full time and expand their educational horizon.