The Executive Director of Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch), Kofi Asare, says the relevance of university education should be measured by the skills graduates acquire rather than whether a particular programme leads directly to a specific job.

His comments come amid ongoing debate over remarks attributed to former Education Minister and Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, who reportedly described some university programmes as "useless" and "degrees to nowhere."

In a Facebook post responding to the discussion, Mr Asare said although not every academic programme is designed to train students for a particular profession, every university degree must provide graduates with practical competencies that prepare them for employment, entrepreneurship or further studies.

"Not every university degree needs to be directly tied to a specific job, but every degree must build the skills to succeed in work, further study, or entrepreneurship. 'The wise elephant remembers paths, not just places' – Larteh Proverb," he wrote.

According to him, the focus of conversations around higher education should be on how universities equip students with relevant skills to adapt to changing labour market demands.

Mr Asare’s comments add to the growing national conversation on graduate employability, the relevance of some academic programmes and the need to better align tertiary education with economic opportunities.

In a separate post, the Eduwatch Executive Director also called for tolerance and civility in public discussions about education policy, cautioning against personal attacks directed at people who express opposing views.

He said disagreements over national issues, including education reforms, should be based on ideas and evidence rather than insults.

"Why can't one hold a contrary opinion without being insulted? Must disagreement with Adutwum be framed in personal attacks? Did we learn the basics of debate in school at all? 'A good argument does not need insults to stand' – Larteh Proverb," he stated.

The debate has generated significant public reaction, with academics, education stakeholders and members of the public sharing varied opinions on the purpose of university education, graduate unemployment and how Ghana’s tertiary institutions can respond to changing economic realities.