GTEC orders universities to cease ‘SHS’ satellite campus operations

As part of efforts to enhance the development of technical universities, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has instructed universities to quit operating satellite campuses in Senior High Schools and unapproved premises.

Speaking at the 12th congregation of the Bolgatanga Technical University (BTU), the Director-General of GTEC Prof. Jinapor said the springing up of satellite campuses is an impediment to the progress of technical universities.

The Tertiary Education Commission Director at the event also indicated that the proliferation of satellite campuses of most universities with charters was negatively affecting the growth and development of technical universities.

“It is of no surprise that in a school like Bolgatanga Senior High School, there can be about five different traditional universities running distance education programmes for students,” the GTEC Director said as quoted by Daily Graphic.

He added, “We have asked all these institutions to cease operations of satellite campuses in such environments moving forward

Indeed, I am happy to announce that GTEC has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with about six institutions to halt the admission of students into about 210 satellite campuses going forward.”

He said the move would allow the technical universities also to attract the students who mostly would have been admitted to pursue programmes at the satellite campuses, thereby increasing their student population.

In a related development, the Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Adutwum has said a fully-fledged open university campuses will be operationalised in the country next academic year.

Giving a closing remark at the 2023 Education Week event, the Minister in Charge of Education said prospective students could take up online courses from the comfort of their homes or visit the campuses for research.

Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum noted that the initiative was part of reforms and innovations the central government was undertaking to ensure that the education sector was modernised.

He said with the open university the majority of the work would be done online adding that said that a full online university would ensure the benefit of society and meet the needs of contemporary education.

“The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that hit us provided us with great lessons on virtual learning. It shows that online learning was a fruitful model of education,” the Education Minister told stakeholders at the Education Week