Gyampo deplores government's attempts to totally control universities

General News of Saturday, April 6, 2019

Source: Starrfmonline.com

2019-04-06

Professor Ransford Gyampo of the University of Ghana, Legon, accused the Akufo-Addo government of seeking to restrict academic freedom by taking complete control of the country's public universities.

According to him, a bill is currently under study to allow the government to appoint the majority of members to university councils.

"Right after the government was defeated in its attempt to undermine academic freedom during the KNUST incident, it now wants to pbad a law guaranteeing that in the future, the universities are totally controlled by the government. Is this what would put food on the table of ordinary people? Today, the government, among others, proposes to appoint by majority the members of the boards of governors of universities.

"What's wrong with these apostles of democracy? What kind of totalitarian tendency is this? Even the worst dictators in Ghana's political history respected academic freedom. We have discussed the bill and many are wondering if this project has been reviewed by the ex-respected Pro Pro, Deputy Minister of Education, "wrote Professor Gyampo in a message Facebook.

He urged the government to focus on basic logistics to strengthen primary education.

Let's see if they will have the balls to force us in the throat.

"Those in charge of our education sector should focus more on the challenges of the basic education sector. How can children get textbooks and exercise books? How to motivate teachers to give the best? How can we improve infrastructure to deal with the obvious deception that basic education is free, while parents pay all kinds of money?

"These are the thorny issues that need the attention of the education sector and not the misleading attempt to undermine academic freedom. Such an attempt is outdated at birth.