Greater than 3,500 Ghanaian college students are actually going through an unsure future after it emerged that that they had enrolled in 22 tertiary establishments working with out accreditation. The revelation, made by the Non-public Universities College students’ Affiliation of Ghana (PUSAG), raises critical issues in regards to the integrity of the nation’s greater training system and the long-term prospects of affected college students.
In line with PUSAG, the scholars’ educational {qualifications} could also be deemed invalid — a growth that would severely impression their eligibility for obligatory nationwide service and restrict their possibilities of securing employment in each the private and non-private sectors.
In a public assertion commending the Ghana Tertiary Schooling Fee (GTEC) for intensifying its clampdown on such establishments, PUSAG’s Nationwide President, Ibrahim Issah, urged vigilance from all stakeholders. “PUSAG urges all college students, dad and mom, and guardians to confirm the accreditation standing of any tertiary establishment earlier than enrolling,” he stated. “Data may be confirmed straight by way of the GTEC web site or by means of PUSAG’s helpdesk.”
Issah additionally known as on the media, civil society, and most people to rally behind the marketing campaign to stamp out educational fraud. “Schooling is not only a private aspiration—it’s a nationwide asset that should be protected,” he acknowledged.
The newest enforcement measures by GTEC, supported by PUSAG’s advocacy, underscore a broader effort to safeguard high quality and credibility in Ghana’s tertiary training panorama. Their joint mission is to make sure that each scholar’s funding in greater training leads to {qualifications} which might be accredited, recognised, and revered — forming a strong basis for private development and nationwide growth.
Nonetheless, the fallout for these already enrolled in unrecognised establishments is extreme. This newest disaster echoes longstanding challenges within the training sector, together with the Nationwide Service Authority’s ongoing battle in opposition to “ghost names” on its deployment lists.
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The Hidden Prices of Unaccredited Schooling
College students who attend unapproved establishments undergo a number of setbacks that transcend wasted money and time:
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Ineligibility for Nationwide Service:
Ghana’s nationwide service scheme is a compulsory year-long programme for graduates from accredited tertiary establishments. With out this requirement fulfilled, graduates are ineligible for many formal employment, particularly within the public sector and lots of company corporations.
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Disqualification from the College students Mortgage Belief Fund (SLTF):
The SLTF explicitly states that loans can be found solely to these enrolled in “accredited tertiary programmes in accredited establishments in Ghana.” This disqualifies hundreds of scholars from monetary help, usually after they’ve already dedicated vital private or household assets to tuition.
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Invalidation of Educational {Qualifications}:
Levels and certificates issued by unaccredited establishments usually are not recognised by employers or greater studying establishments. This shuts the door to each skilled employment and postgraduate examine, domestically and overseas, leaving many college students with debt and no viable {qualifications} to indicate for it.
PUSAG’s Response and the Means Ahead
In response to the escalating subject, PUSAG has taken a proactive stance, unveiling a number of initiatives geared toward curbing the unfold of educational fraud and supporting present and potential college students:
Nationwide Accreditation Verification Drive:
PUSAG has launched into an unbiased nationwide marketing campaign to confirm the standing of each non-public tertiary establishment in Ghana. This initiative will enable college students to cross-check institutional credentials in opposition to GTEC’s official database earlier than making use of or persevering with their research.
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Public Consciousness and Schooling Campaigns:
In collaboration with GTEC, PUSAG will roll out outreach efforts to boost consciousness on how college students and their households can independently verify an establishment’s accreditation. GTEC’s web site stays the official and most dependable supply for such data.
Coverage Advocacy and Authorized Reform:
PUSAG is lobbying for stricter enforcement of the Schooling Regulatory Our bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023). This contains pushing for harsher sanctions on establishments working exterior authorized boundaries, and supporting GTEC in closing regulatory gaps that enable such entities to function.
Because the marketing campaign to guard Ghana’s instructional integrity positive factors momentum, each GTEC and PUSAG emphasise the shared accountability of scholars, guardians, establishments, and regulators in guaranteeing transparency, legitimacy, and high quality throughout the tertiary training sector.
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The present disaster serves as a stark reminder that due diligence and consciousness are important instruments in defending the tutorial {and professional} futures of Ghanaian college students. “We should act now — not solely to handle the injury already achieved however to stop future generations from falling sufferer to the identical systemic failures,” Issah concluded.
