The President of the National Union of Ghana Students, NUGS, William Yamoah has called on government to commit a portion of its budget to the provision of academic facilities and scholarships to students in private institutions.

He said private universities have contributed immensely to the socio-economic development of the country and a little push would go a long way to boost morale of the universities to give of their best.

Mr. Yamoah said this in a speech at the annual delegates congress of the Private University Students of Ghana (PUSAG).

He said the participation of the private universities in the education system had provided quality education to help clear the backlog created as a result of inadequate facilities in the traditional universities.

“The demand for tertiary education increased as against the few universities that existed in those days, resulting in the introduction of a policy making it mandatory for every SSS graduate to stay in the house for a year before applying for admission into the university.”

He said their participation has been very crucial, helping to resolve the myriad of problems confronting the traditional universities ranging from the lack of lecture halls, accommodation facilities and academic staff to poor remuneration.

“It is in the light of this that I wish to call on the government and our development partners to see how best the funding of education can be enhanced on a more sustainable manner for the best of all.”

Mr. Yamoah also challenged managers of tertiary institutions to be more innovative in introducing courses that are relevant to the developmental needs of the country, adding that that would be the only way to make students marketable in the job environment.

He assured members of NUGS commitment to seeking the welfare and betterment of the students’ body in Ghana.

The guest speaker of the function, Rev. B. Bampoh, Deputy Registrar at the Ghana Telecom University, said private universities have a major responsibility through enriching science, engineering, technology and humanities by providing value based education to make them moral leaders.

He said the extent of research work undertaken by a private university becomes a measure of judgement and representation for that university, adding that quality research and teaching will attract students from many parts of the country, creating a new environment base for the development of the nation.

Source: Ghanaian Times