University of Ghana cannot enrol more science students - Prof Tagoe

Accra, Nov. 7, GNA - Professor Clifford Nii Boi Tagoe, Vice Chancell= or of the University of Ghana, said the educational institution's aim of enrolling more students in the Science than the humanities might become a=

mirage. He observed that challenges such as disparity in cost of courses in the Sciences and the Humanities, lack of support and encouragement for practi= cal science education, lack of apparatus and few and poorly motivated science=

teachers at all levels were factors that militated against achieving the goal, set by the Ministry of Education.

Prof Tagoe was addressing some 2,134 students at a graduation cerem= ony at Legon on Saturday. The event, which was for the first batch of three groups of students= of the University, who have completed the 2008 and 2009 academic year, was presided over by Justice Samuel K. Date-Baah of the Supreme Court, who is=

also the Chairman of Council of the University.

Prof Tagoe said educational institutions would need more funds to provide science equipments, laboratories, chemicals, and top properly motivate teaching staff to work harder to make the science subject less abstract.

He said that this would also encourage students to pursue science-related programmes at the tertiary level. Prof Tagoe said the University was committed to ensuring that studen= ts studding science-related courses at the tertiary level were provided with=

the necessary inputs.

He said with the support of the GETFund, the University had spent 6,124,832 euros on installation of various specialised laboratory equipme= nt, greenhouses, glassware and chemicals for selected Departments and Units i= n the Faculty of Science and the School of Agriculture.

Prof Tagoe said that Nuclear Earth Sciences, Computational Nuclear Sciences and Engineering programmes have been introduced as two new Maste= r of Philosophy programmes at the School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences of the University. "These are clear indications that there is indeed a major transformation of the Sciences in the University of Ghana in response to national requirements and we urge future applicants to take full advantag= e of the new structures the university is creating," he said. Prof Tagoe, asked the graduands to pursue further academic work in order to secure a good job placement.

"A second degree is increasingly becoming the ticket to securing well-paid and satisfying employment, so I would urge those who can, to le= t their achievements which are being recognised today, be only the stepping=

stone to go on to pursue further academic work," he said. Justice Samuel K Date-Baah, Chairman of the University Council, pled= ged that the Council would work towards the fulfilment of the academic role o= f the University. "Your Council will defend relentlessly the institutional autonomy an= d academic freedom of the University. At the same time we realise that this=

academic community owes and obligation to the country, continent and soci= ety in which it is located and to humanity in general to advance the learning=

and knowledge that will enhance societal well being and development," he said.

Mr Edward Effah, Managing Director of the Fidelity Bank Ghana Limited, a private financial institution, urged the graduands to work har= d in order to give back what society had invested in them. He reminded them that they were graduating at a time when the world=

was experiencing an economic recession but urged them to be innovative, entrepreneurial and to set up their own businesses in order to be self-reliant and productive.

He disclosed that Fidelity Bank was set up through the joint efforts= of four graduates of the University of Ghana, who worked relentlessly after university education and reminded graduands that anything worthwhile was possible with determination and the right motivation. Out of the total number of students that graduated, 650 were post-graduate candidates, with 1,149 being undergraduates and 335 receivi= ng diploma awards.

About 7.7 percent of the undergraduates received first class degree and 26.3 percent were honoured with second class upper division with 51.7 percent receiving second class lower division degrees and 9 percent of th= e diplomats obtained distinctions. Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, Inspector General of Police, who was one of th= e 2,134 graduands was awarded Executive Masters in Business Administration (MBA), with Human Resource Management option.