Public universities in Ghana risk neglect from past students – Research

Public universities in Ghana risk neglect from past students – Research

Source: Ghana|Richard Kwadwo Nyarko|quajo2009@gmail.com

A Research Fellow at the Institute for Educational Planning and Administration at the University of Cape Coast, Dr. Michael Boakye-Yiadom, is warning the country’s tertiary institutions risk losing support from their past students if students’ services are not prioritized.

The worry of the research fellow stems from a research that indicates that many students in the country’s tertiary institutions have become apathetic towards their alma mater because they were treated unfairly when they were in School.

According to Dr. Michael Boakye-Yiadom, starting from when students are admitted to when students exit their various programs on the campuses of the universities in Ghana, conditions that will make students excel and bring out the best in them are conspicuously missing.

“Most university authorities in Ghana do not think about the interests of students but gloss over and inflict a lot of emotional and psychological pressures on the students. Many university lecturers who are paid to supervise the work of students behave as if they are doing the students some favours. Today, most students fear to approach lecturers with their concerns and challenges because the lecturers do not care about the needs of the students”, he intimated.

The practice, he said has culminated into many an alumnus of the public Universities in Ghana unwilling to go back to their universities they attended to offer support or render services to them.

“The best schools in the world have innovative students’ services on their campuses. They have student centered campuses; they have positive campus environment that enhances learning and teaching. If we don’t have students, we don’t have Universities. Without students there are no lecturers; without students, there are no Vice Chancellors. For me, the students are the most important people on the University campuses that school authorities have to pay attention to. Students should be able to have very good memories of their alma mater. Very soon, when a student goes to a public university and is not treated better; the students would be able to seek transfer to another private University that will treat them better with top-notch students’ services. The relationship between students and lecturers should get better”, he indicated.

Dr. Michael Boakye-Yaidom said student services should become an important part of the accreditation process.

According to him, when students services becomes a part of the accreditation process, the leadership of the universities will prioritize student services, that way they would have lots of memories from school.

“The National Accreditation Board should scrutinize the institutions very well before granting them accreditations to run their programs. From time to time, it should review the performances of the institutions to ensure whether students’ services are at the heart of what they do”, he averred.

Dr. Boakye-Yiadom is courting the support of Authorities of tertiary institutions in the country through what he calls “Students First Campaign” to improve students’ services in the Country’s Univers