The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has revealed that government plans to amend the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) Act, 2020 (Act 1023) to extend the deadline for tertiary institutions to obtain a Presidential Charter.
His announcement follows GTEC’s February 2024 directive, which gave unchartered universities a six-month ultimatum to meet charter requirements or face possible closure. The directive sparked nationwide debate over the credibility of certificates issued by affiliate institutions and the cost burden of meeting the new standards.
Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament, Mr. Iddrisu said the review aims to prevent the closure of universities that provide critical access to higher education for thousands of students.
“Government is reviewing that position, and there may be a policy adjustment to extend the moratorium. The intention is not to deny qualified Ghanaian students access to tertiary education,” he stated.
He cautioned that rigid enforcement of the law could have unintended consequences.
“They will be in denial if we were to be high-handed in enforcing the regulation, but that’s what the law currently requires. So I may seek a review of the law to extend the charter period and learn from best practices, what happens in Australia, the US, or the UK, and how private institutions there cope alongside public universities,” he told the Committee.
The Minister commended the growing number of Ghanaians pursuing higher education, describing it as encouraging for national development.
“The joy is that more young Ghanaians are accessing higher education, and that’s good for our country,” he remarked.
Mr. Iddrisu further noted that while GTEC is acting within its legal mandate, the Ministry is carefully assessing the situation to ensure a balanced and fair outcome for all tertiary institutions.
Discover more from Hot Stories Ghana
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
