The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) under the leadership of Professor
Ahmed Abdulai Jinapor, Director-General has given 31st August 2024 as the deadline to
close down all tertiary education institutions which failed to meet the requirements for a
Presidential Charter.
Following the enactment of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020(Act 1023), all
tertiary institutions are mandated under the law to Charter by 31st August 2024. However, a
caveat has been given by the GTEC that, tertiary institutions that are unable to meet the
minimum requirements for the Presidential Charter prior to the expiration of 31st August
2024 deadline but have demonstrated sufficient cause to Charter by 31st August 2024 would
be given an additional two years to finalize their respective charter applications with the
Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).
The application fee for the Charter was initially Sixty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS
60,000.00) but strangely GTEC has increased the application fee to Seventy Thousand Ghana
Cedis (GHS 70,000.00).
The rushing enforcement of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020(Act 1023) by GTEC
would automatically collapse almost all the Private Universities, Colleges and other
institutions in the Country by 31st August 2024.
The idea of a Chartered University/College/Institute is good as it grants autonomy to the
Chartered Private University/College/other Institutions to become comparable to the Public
Universities as well as award their own undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. But the
question is, must it be done under mandatory conditions? Certainly not. That's not the best
practices internationally.
The Charter process under the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020(Act 1023) should be
an OPTIONAL PATHWAY, and not Mandatory as it being strictly enforced by Akufo-Addo's
Government through GTEC.
The Optional Pathway is the acceptable international best practices and this would rather
offer flexibility and affordability to the Private Universities, Colleges and other institutions to
properly develop individual competencies and resources to be able to qualify for the
Presidential Charter at the appropriate time without unnecessary financial burden and stress.
The financial, logistical and infrastructure strengths differ among Private Universities,
Colleges and other tertiary institutions.
The overwhelming list of requirements demanded by GTEC before a Private University,
College or Institute would be given a Presidential Charter are absolutely unreasonable.
Due to COVID-19 and poor economic conditions in the Country, many Private Universities,
Colleges and Institutions are facing serious financial challenges, gaps in physical
infrastructure as well as enrolment deficit of students.
Across the world, Private Universities, Colleges and other tertiary institutions are allowed to
operate without a Presidential Charter as they take their time to be nurtured by the well-
established Public Universities, and they are assessed by the Regulatory Bodies based on the
quality of teaching, research and graduates they produced.
Akufo-Addo's Government through the Ministry of Education as a matter of urgency should
call the leadership of Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to order as well as
instruct them to outrightly suspend the 31st August 2024 deadline given to the Private
Universities, Colleges and other institutions to meet the requirements for the Presidential
Charter.
The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission should be reasonably enough to appreciate the
negative impact on Students, Parents, Employment rate and the general economy if they force
the closure of Private Universities, Colleges and other institutions by 31st August 2024.
It is a needless decision by GTEC to enforce unnecessary laws under an already prevailing
struggling economy especially in an election year.
The leadership of Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Ministry of Education and
Akufo-Addo's Government should appreciate the fact that, it took:
1. University of Ghana 13years (1948-1961) before receiving a Presidential Charter to
become fully-fledged University.
2. Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology 10years (1951-1961) before
receiving a Presidential Charter to become fully-fledged University.
3. University of Cape Coast 9years (1962-1971) before receiving a Presidential Charter to
become fully-fledged University.
4. University of Education, Winneba 12years (1992-2004) before receiving a Presidential
Charter to become fully-fledged University.
5. University of Professional Studies, Accra 43years (1965-2008) before receiving a
Presidential Charter to become fully-fledged University.
6. University of Mines and Technology 52years (1952-2004) before receiving a Presidential
Charter to become fully-fledged University.
7. Ghana Communication Technology University 72years (1948-2020) before receiving a
Presidential Charter to become fully-fledged University.
Even with Government funding and supporting systems, let's consider the number of years
the aforementioned Public Universities had before becoming a Chartered University. Also,
the Technical Universities were not given a Presidential Charter overnight.
There is the need for Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to indefinitely suspend
the enforcement of the 31st August 2024 deadline given to Private
Universities/Colleges/other tertiary institutions. That deadline is politically, economically and
educationally unproductive.
Investors and Employees are still struggling with the negative effects of the Banking Sector
Clean-up Exercise and the ongoing Domestic Debt Exchange Programme, why should
Akufo-Addo's Government allow Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to pour salt
into the wounds of Investors in the Private Tertiary Educational Sector of the economy?
Adding insult to injury of the Private Sector certainly defeat the ideological identity of the
New Patriotic Party (NPP). Some decisions of Akufo-Addo's Government are destroying the
image, reputation, ideological identity and private sector growth philosophy of the New
Patriotic Party (NPP) as well as grossly undermining the chances of the 2024 Presidential
Candidate of NPP.
According to Article 36(2) of 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, the State shall, in
particular, take all necessary steps to establish a sound and healthy economy whose
underlying principles shall include-
(b). affording ample opportunity for individual initiative and creativity in economic activities
and fostering an enabling environment for a pronounced role of the private sector in the
economy;
(c). ensuring that individuals and the private sector bear their fair share of social and national
responsibilities including responsibilities to contribute to the overall development of the
Country.
So, what is the crime of Private Universities, Colleges and other tertiary institutions for
contributing to the overall development of the educational sector of the national economy that
Akufo-Addo's Government through GTEC are threatening to close them down by 31st
August 2024 on the basis of requirements for a Presidential Charter?
Meanwhile, in other jurisdictions, Presidential Charter has always been an Optional Pathway
for Tertiary Institutions to decide whether to award their own degrees or allow a well-
established University to do so on their behalf through an affiliation system or collaborative
Partnership.
It has been 32 years since the enactment and adoption of the 1992 Constitution of the
Republic of Ghana yet all successive governments including Akufo-Addo's Government were
UNABLE to fully implement the Article 38(Educational Objectives) for all citizens of
Ghana, so why the needless rushing of the enforcement of Education Regulatory Bodies Act,
2020(Act 1023)?
Instead of closing them down by 31st August 2024, let's continue to support, nurture and
guide the Private Universities, Colleges and other Tertiary Institutions to grow and remain
competitive in the educational sector of the national economy of Ghana.
