Mahama's policy thrust at the tertiary education level(1)
Former president, John Dramani Mahama
Tertiary education is a contributory factor in stimulating growth and reducing poverty. A highly skilled workforce, with lifelong access to a solid post-secondary education, is a prerequisite for innovation and growth: well-educated people are, therefore, more employable and productive.
Read full articleIt was against this background that President Mahama initiated some policies to enhance quality tertiary education in Ghana.
And I want to continue my series of bringing to light some of his achievements as documented by the NDC's Green Book.
At the time of leaving office, there were 313,845 tertiary students in Ghana. Enrollment into all the tertiary institutions increased significantly under his watch as president.
President Mahama's administration constructed and inaugurated a US$37 million Distance Education ICT Facility Centres for all the then 10 Regions. They include state-of-the-art ICT equipment that did not only expand access but also improved quality and relevance. He ensured that over 3,000 distance education students received fully loaded and connected android tablets.
All the regional centres were also equipped with video conferencing facilities and smart lecture theatres. Additionally, the University of Ghana had adequate fibre, guaranteed cloud services, and the ability to deploy wi-fi zones over a wide area.
The following were also completed at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST):
Ultra-modern central laboratories, furnished with cutting-edge equipment like high-capacity nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers, mass spectrometers, and analyzers.
Ultra-modern Petroleum Engineering labs equipped with drill simulators and other state-of-the-art equipment.
A new vertinerary hospital, the most advanced in West Africa.
And a new KNUST Teaching Hospital to house the School of Dentistry.
More was done at the tertiary level of education. Work on the permanent campus of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) at Sokode Lokoe in the Volta Region was completed and handed over. In addition, 10 new classroom blocks, a laboratory complex, accommodation for lecturers, new lecture halls, outstanding works at the Nurses Training School, and the rehabilitation of the Onchocerciasis Centre were completed.
The University admitted its first batch of medical students in the 2014/15 academic year in a bid to increase the number of doctors in the country.
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