President John Agyekum Kufuor has underscored the need for tertiary institutions to continue to open its doors to private participation in the provision of in and out campus student accommodation to cater for the ever teeming student population currently outstripping available capacities.
Commissioning three infrastructure facilities at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi on Friday, President Kufuor said the government is sparing no effort to invest highly in providing hostel facilities on the various campuses.
He said it will continue to support the universities in developing appropriate policies regarding student accommodation to boost higher learning in the country.
The projects included a one-storey building for the Faculty of Law and a post-graduate students' hostel at a total cost of ¢20 billion funded by the President's Special Initiative on Tertiary Education as well as a ¢45 billion students' hostel also funded by the Ghana Superanuated Scheme (GUSS).
The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Kwasi Kwafo Adarkwa, expressed grave concern about the lack of academic facilities which combined with the nagging issue of funding to block access to higher learning.
Giving figures to buttress his point, he said this year alone the University received 16,593 applications out of which 11,044 were qualified but only 6,000 were admitted owing to constraints on facilities.
As a way out, the Vice-Chancellor suggested a national forum of all stakeholders to engage in a non-partisan, non-sectarian discourse to fashion out an appropriate and far-reaching strategies for the funding of higher education.
Prof. Adarkwa expressed gratitude to President Kufuor for being instrumental in the provision of on-campus academic facilities and also to the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) which is funding 27 on-going projects.
Nana Dr Otuo Sereboe II, Omanhene of Juaben and Chairman of the University Council who deputized for Otumfuo Osei tutu II, the Asantehene and Chancellor of the university, commended the President for making funds available for the two projects.
He said it would boost post-graduate studies in law which demonstrated his commitment to the rule of law and socio-economic development engendered by post-graduate research.
Source: GNA
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