Dean of the School of Education and Leadership (SEL) at the University of Ghana (UG), Professor James Dzisah, has stated that former Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, does not fully understand the purpose for which universities were established.
His comments follow Dr Adutwum’s remarks on the Konnected Minds Podcast, where he questioned why some universities offer programmes such as Development Studies at the University of Education, Winneba, and BA Education (Non-Teaching) at the University of Ghana. According to the former minister, these programmes “will not take the students anywhere.”
Speaking on Campus Exclusive on Radio Univers, Professor Dzisah argued that if the former minister truly understood the essence of universities, he would not have made such remarks.
“In Ghana, we tend to assume that people with political power also have power over knowledge, which is not true. The former minister doesn’t really understand what universities are and what they do.
“A critical analysis of what universities are will not lead someone to label courses or programmes as useless,” he said.
Meanwhile, while people have expressed varied opinions on the issue, General Secretary of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Dr Jerry Joe Harrison, strongly disagreed with the former minister’s comments, describing them as “unfortunate” and “pathetic.”
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Story by Gabriel Tecco Mensah | univers.ug.edu.gh
