'Process to obtain presidential charter discriminatory'
The Rector of the MountCrest University College (MCU), Prof. Atsu Ayee, has described as “discriminatory and unconstitutional” the long and laborious process it takes private universities to obtain a Presidential Charter to award their own degrees and diplomas.
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He stated that whereas a public university created today was given a Presidential Charter at birth, a private university that had operated for “over 10 years is still denied the right to a Presidential Charter”.
“The process to obtain a Presidential Charter has been selectively applied when it comes to public versus private universities”, Prof. Ayee stated.
Speaking at the third matriculation ceremony of the institution at its main campus at Larteh-Akuapem on Saturday, Prof. Ayee stated that “This discrimination and other challenges have the potential to undermine the government’s policy on public-private partnership”.
In all 400 students were matriculated to pursue undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Law, Publishing Studies and Public Health.
Prof. Aryee noted that private tertiary education was the most dynamic and fastest growing segment of post-secondary education in Ghana and other African countries.
Currently, he said, Ghana had about 60 private universities, and attributed the proliferation of such institutions to the inability of the public sector to satisfy the growing social demand for higher education which had prompted the entry of the private sector to expand access.
“The private universities have played roles and continue to play roles in the democratisation of access to education in Ghana, cushioning the shock and dislocation in the tertiary education sector”, Prof. Ayee stated.
Prof. Ayee, however, expressed worry over the unsupportive attitude of the government towards private educational institutions.
He mentioned the revocation of the tax exempt status of non-profit private education institutions by the government with effect from May 20, 2013 to raise more revenue for the state as unfortunate.
“The inability of private universities to access the GETFund to enable them to expand their infrastructure to admit more students is another challenge facing such institutions”, he added.
On the university’s academic achievements, Prof. Ayee said the MCU currently offered undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Law, Publishing Studies and Public Health and had plans to add new ones as soon as they were approved by the National Accreditation Board.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Ms Helen Ntoso, commended the management of the school for its commitment to broaden access to quality tertiary education in the country. She also commended the students for making the “right choice to study at MCU”.
The Chief of Larteh, Osabarima Nana Asiedu Okoo Ababio III, stated that the provision of tertiary education could not be borne by the government alone, hence the need for the state to support private universities to grow.
By Nana Konadu Agyeman/Daily Graphic/Ghana
