Freshman Intake Into University Of Ghana, KNUST And Other Public Universities Must Be Limited By Law

Ghana is a nation where people pride themselves in acquiring good and quality education in their tertiary institutions, so ever since the first university of the country got its footing in 1948 it has been turning out graduates who have spread beyond the borders of this great nation. Some have gone far as becoming lecturers and professors in great Oxford, Uppsala and Harvard Universities in the great nations of the planet earth. But a common question that is usually asked is: have we also learned about the rich practices that have made these famous universities reached where they are in the world? Do we have time to ponder about how many students are admitted into our universities each year at the freshmen level?

How is the student and lecturer RATIO seen by the NAB authorities, and do they have appropriate manner whereby these public universities who are seen to be nurturing other emerging private universities controlled by the state? Is the National Accreditation Board that is supposed to regulate the activities of these public universities doing their best duty to check the unnecessary expansions of these universities at the detriment of these students and also the private universities which could be a helping hand in giving quality education to the people of Ghana?

Why should they allow a public university in Ghana, such as the University of Ghana to admit between 30-40% of the enormous population (over 33, 000) who apply to study each year in their campuses, while at the universities in the developed nations such as Harvard University, Yale University, and Columbia University respectively they admit only 5.9%, 6.3%, and 7% of their 34, 295? Are they not conscious of the lecturer-student ratio or probably they are ignorant or have no sense of conducting research regarding these important indicators that make excellent conception about famous universities in the word?

In the year 2018, the Ivy League Admissions Statistics gave it that out of 34, 295 students that applied to Harvard University, only 2023 of the students who make about 5.9% were admitted. In Yale University, out of 30, 932 students who applied only 1,935 which is 6.3% were accepted. While at Columbia University in New York considering the 32, 952 only 2,291 students which is 7% were given instant admission to enter the freshman year. But taking the University of Ghana, Legon as a representative university in Ghana around thousands and thousands of students who applied to study there more than 30-40% were admitted to pursue their education in Ghana. And I ask myself; to be taught by whom or which kind of lecturers and professors?

I have worked there before at the Department of Psychology (Faculty of Social Studies) in 1999 shortly as a part-time lecturer and later I was to be employed as a Senior Lecturer when due to circumstances beyond my control I returned to Sweden. I still remember one lecturer having in his class more than 300 students. When I discussed this problem with a very important educated fellow who happened to be now a member of the Ghana Academic of Arts, a distinguished academic fraternity, he told me to get out from him with my too known checking.

This is not a problem they can solve. But I for one, having gotten the opportunity to educate myself in an elite small university in Great Britain and later went further to do my postgraduate in a renowned university in the Nordic country, I think that it is high time we took a serious look into this problem which could be that PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES in this country such as University of Ghana, KNUST and others must by law be checked as to how many freshmen students they could admit into their universities. These could also make the students in Ghana to go the other way to educate themselves in the private elite universities which now, it seems to me, have some of the best lecturers and professors in the country.

In most universities in the developed world which includes the Ivy league universities in the USA, admission to the universities are not based on simple formula of grades and test scores, instead they consider a variety of factors. When this criteria is being applied, then universities in Ghana may have the free option to choose those who they consider as the best students and train them. This will not create any problems when a student with good grades but cannot play football or have no athletic background is not selected over above another who have good grades and is talented as well.

When this ill is adequately dealt with, National Accreditation Board may then limit PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES to admit at most 2,500 freshmen students every year as the Ivy League in order to help (1) Lecturer-student ratio, (2) Provide quality education in Ghana, (3) Counteract the manner it seems to me that NOW the private universities are turning out the best and quality graduates than the so called premier public universities, and finally, (4) To stop unnecessary expansions by the Public Universities (University of Ghana, University of Education, Winneba, University of Cape Coast and KNUST) due to the craziness for money/dollars at the detriment of quality education in Ghana.

Professor Desmond Ayim-Aboagye
(DEAN OF FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES)
Regent University College of Science and Technology

P. O. Box DS 1636
Dansoman - Accra
Tel: +23302939900 / Mobile: +233243798102
Website: www.regent.edu.gh