Minister of State In-Charge of Tertiary Education, Prof. Kwesi Yankah says Government is working effortlessly to make University admissions processes easier and friendlier.
The new arrangement which would present student applicants a one stop opportunity for their applications to all tertiary institutions is expected to take effect at the beginning of the 2019 academic year.
Prof Kwesi Yankah made the announcement at an education interactive forum themed “Education is Great” organized by the British High Commission in the Ghanaian capital, Accra.
The occasion brought together advocates of quality education in Ghana, educationists, policy makers, donors, partners and a section of students as Ghana joined the rest of the world to mark Universal Children’s Day today November 20, 2018.
The day was also used to celebrate the fruitful partnership between Ghana and the UK in the education sector.
Country Director for the Department for International Development, DFID, Philip Smith applauded the Ghanaian President’s vision for a self – reliant Ghana, pledging the UK’s support to a successful initiative.
Contributing to conversations on how Ghana can build and ensure quality education for all children, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey was in agreement with discussions saying the new focus fits into the President’s vision of re-defining education from the basic level.
She encouraged parents to be part of the education and wellbeing of their children and called for children to be encouraged to take their studies seriously.
The Hon. Minister who is a member of the Jeremy Hunt High –Level Platform for Girl’s Education recounted her experience with education saying “I remember when I was growing up and as a child you’re not even allowed to turn on a television for the fear that you might destroy it. But in other jurisdictions, you have children who are tinkering with all kinds of gadgets and equipment and through that you learn a lot”.
“Parents I’m not saying that allow your children to play with everything in the house but let them through all kinds of means learn because there’s a lot to learn from the home environment as well”, the minister added.
Hon. Ayorkor Botchwey pledged her commitment to continue to champion the cause of education of the girl-child both nationally and globally.
A joint statement was signed and adopted on the new approaches to Education by the government of Ghana and the UK.
The two sides were hopeful; the partnership would leave a legacy of strong educational systems that support the aspirations of young learners in Ghana.
The United Kingdom has invested over 400 million pounds in education in Ghana over the last 20 years, supporting over 700,000 girls and boys in primary and secondary school over the past 10 years.
The UK has also supported over 35,000 new teachers to enter schools with more practice and better skilss since 2015 as well as assistance for some 2500 Ghanaians to study in UK universities.