Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum has disclosed that, the ministry plans to expand the tertiary school system. According to him, six universities will open by the end of the year. Some of the construction, he said have been completed and will have the bills in parliament for the parliamentary select committee on education to work on them.
He made this announcement during an address on the state of education in Ghana on Tuesday July 30th at the Conference Center.
“When this is done, we can get the ACT that will establish them. We will begin with the University of Engineering and Applied sciences at Adrokie in Ahafo, University of Engineering, Agricultural Science at Bunso, University of Health, Agricultural and Life Sciences at Kintampo, University of Mampong in Ashanti region and then the Local Governance and Leadership University and then the University for Sports Development is also coming”.
He noted that the main goal of these tertiary education institutions is to increase the gross tertiary enrollment ratio of Ghana.
“When you look at the total number of students enrolled compared to the age bracket of 18-22 you’re able to measure what we call the gross tertiary enrollment ratio Ghana is now about 22”.
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“He explained that countries that have totally transformed themselves get to about 50 for that to happen hence we have a long way to go but we can get there. “There’s a whole agenda that by 2030 we should be able to hit 40%, the moment you get that, things change in your country and it is seen around the world”
he stated.
He said an Open University would be introduced to enable students to pursue courses online through correspondence to obtain degrees. Dr Adutwum, who is also the Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe in the Ashanti Region, said the government had also embarked on a major transformation of education through Centre for National Distance Learning and Open Schooling (CENDLOS).
“Next academic year, we are going to have for the first time, an online high school,” the lawmaker said, adding “we need to make sure that we carry everyone along”. Next month, through the Ministry of Education Television, CENDLOS would be launched with a 24/7 programming.
He said the one student, one tablet initiative was an innovation that had come to stay and was on course. Dr Adutwum said the model junior high schools were also going to be given tablets, adding that “this is the present and future of education in Ghana”.
The textbook under the new high school curriculum, he said, would be uploaded on to the tablets for use by the children.
Dr Adutwum said the education system was being moved away from the era of rote learning, popularly known as “chew, pour, pass and forget”, to critical thinking, critical analysis, creativity and innovation, among other
Dr Adutwum also spoke about the country attaining gender parity at the second-cycle level as parents now did not choose which of their children should go to school because of limited resources as a result of the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy, which had led to an increase in enrolment from 800,000 to 1.2 million.
“Our country is doing investment in education, not just at the secondary level but the primary level and the JHS level,” he said.
On foundational learning, Dr Adutwum said the government was revolutionising Kindergarten education by equipping teachers with modern teaching methodologies tailored for early childhood development.
