University of Ghana cannot enrol more science students - Prof Tagoe

Accra, Nov. 7, GNA - Professor Clifford Nii Boi Tagoe, Vice Chancellor

of the University of Ghana, said the educational institution's aim of

enrolling more students in the Science than the humanities might become a

mirage.
He observed that challenges such as disparity in cost of courses in the

Sciences and the Humanities, lack of support and encouragement for practical

science education, lack of apparatus and few and poorly motivated science

teachers at all levels were factors that militated against achieving the

goal, set by the Ministry of Education.
Prof Tagoe was addressing some 2,134 students at a graduation ceremony

at Legon on Saturday.
The event, which was for the first batch of three groups of students of

the University, who have completed the 2008 and 2009 academic year, was

presided over by Justice Samuel K. Date-Baah of the Supreme Court, who is

also the Chairman of Council of the University.
Prof Tagoe said educational institutions would need more funds to

provide science equipments, laboratories, chemicals, and top properly

motivate teaching staff to work harder to make the science subject less

abstract.
He said that this would also encourage students to pursue

science-related programmes at the tertiary level.
Prof Tagoe said the University was committed to ensuring that students

studding science-related courses at the tertiary level were provided with

the necessary inputs.
He said with the support of the GETFund, the University had spent

6,124,832 euros on installation of various specialised laboratory equipment,

greenhouses, glassware and chemicals for selected Departments and Units in

the Faculty of Science and the School of Agriculture.

Prof Tagoe said that Nuclear Earth Sciences, Computational Nuclear

Sciences and Engineering programmes have been introduced as two new Master

of Philosophy programmes at the School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences of the

University.
"These are clear indications that there is indeed a major

transformation of the Sciences in the University of Ghana in response to

national requirements and we urge future applicants to take full advantage

of the new structures the university is creating," he said.

Prof Tagoe, asked the graduands to pursue further academic work in

order to secure a good job placement.
"A second degree is increasingly becoming the ticket to securing

well-paid and satisfying employment, so I would urge those who can, to let

their achievements which are being recognised today, be only the stepping

stone to go on to pursue further academic work," he said.

Justice Samuel K Date-Baah, Chairman of the University Council, pledged

that the Council would work towards the fulfilment of the academic role of

the University.
"Your Council will defend relentlessly the institutional autonomy and

academic freedom of the University. At the same time we realise that this

academic community owes and obligation to the country, continent and society

in which it is located and to humanity in general to advance the learning

and knowledge that will enhance societal well being and development," he

said.
Mr Edward Effah, Managing Director of the Fidelity Bank Ghana

Limited, a private financial institution, urged the graduands to work hard

in order to give back what society had invested in them.

He reminded them that they were graduating at a time when the world

was experiencing an economic recession but urged them to be innovative,

entrepreneurial and to set up their own businesses in order to be

self-reliant and productive.
He disclosed that Fidelity Bank was set up through the joint efforts of

four graduates of the University of Ghana, who worked relentlessly after

university education and reminded graduands that anything worthwhile was

possible with determination and the right motivation.

Out of the total number of students that graduated, 650 were

post-graduate candidates, with 1,149 being undergraduates and 335 receiving

diploma awards.
About 7.7 percent of the undergraduates received first class degree and

26.3 percent were honoured with second class upper division with 51.7

percent receiving second class lower division degrees and 9 percent of the

diplomats obtained distinctions.
Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, Inspector General of Police, who was one of the

2,134 graduands was awarded Executive Masters in Business Administration

(MBA), with Human Resource Management option.
GNA

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