UTAG wants UG to cut down on student admissions

The University Teachers Association of Ghana [UTAG] at the University of Ghana says it intends to mount pressure on its management to cut down on student admissions due to inadequate teachers.

The leadership of the Association has vowed it will only back down on its decision if government lifts the embargo on recruitment of staff into the university, National President of UTAG, Dr Harry Agbanu told TV3.

Two months ago, government stated it has not placed any embargo on recruitment into the education and health sectors.

President John Mahama during his Accounting to the People tour in the Central Region on May 5 asked public universities in the country to recruit more personnel.

However, this directive by the President has received mixed reaction among the teachers and leadership of UTAG.

The association said the directive by the President indicates there has been an embargo on recruitment for several years.

According to UTAG, in the case of the University of Ghana, it has not made any staff recruitment in the last three years.

It noted that currently, the University's management has recruited 112 academic and 20 administrative staff without approval from government, to assist the University.

As a result, the government says, these staff do not qualify to benefit from the book and research allowance but the leadership of UTAG has described that as unfortunate.

It is against this background that the Association is vowing to pressurized management of the University to cut down on admissions until the embargo is lifted.