An advocacy non-governmental organization and policy research group, Africa Education Watch, has demanded the withdrawal of the Public Universities Bill.
The Bill, which has received mixed reaction from various stakeholders, even after legislators moved to put it on hold is regarded by Africa Watch as a nonstarter, moving them to engender its complete withdrawal.
Contained in a statement, the advocacy group further indicated that Bill stymies academic freedom.
“We once again reiterate our position, which is widely held by Civil Society and academia that, should there even be a genuine intention by the government to promote accountability and transparency in Public Tertiary Institutions, the fact that the Bill has a tendency to dilute the independence of Public Universities and stifle academic freedom makes it a non-starter, as it may create even greater problems than the one it professes to solve”.
It further revealed, transparency will be bereft in the Bill should it be approved in parliament.
“Accountability can be exacted within the context of already existing laws and policies that lack implementation due to poor oversight. We once again, call on the Ministry of Education to immediately withdraw the Bill.”
On October 22, 2020, Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament, Peter Nortsu Kotoe, in an interview stated that, consideration of the Public Universities Bill in Parliament is currently on hold.
The Akatsi North MP noted, the Bill is not part of the Bills being considered before Parliament goes on recess in the coming weeks.
According to him, the Education Committee of Parliament had recommended that there was a need for further deliberations to be held before the Bill is considered.
“The Committee on Education looked at the Public Universities Bill, and we recommended that in the view of the criticisms and the number of petitions that we have received, it will be better for the government to hold on with the passing of the Bill because there is the need for greater consultation. So it will not feature for the Bills we are considering for this meeting of Parliament.
“I have already maintained that, that bill was not necessary because it was going to interfere with the freedom of the academic freedom of universities”.
The Public Universities Bill has spawned disagreement in the country with various stakeholders within the education sector calling on government to withdraw it due to some clauses deemed problematic and likely to interfere with academic freedom.
High profile individuals like the NDC flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama has indicated his onus commitment to scrapping the Bill should he win the December elections.
“Government must listen to the concerns of key stakeholders and withdraw the Public Universities Bill.
“I want to, however, assure the people of Ghana and the academic community that should government proceed and pass the Bill into an Act of Parliament, I will not hesitate to initiate steps for its immediate repeal, as a matter of priority, if God willing I assume office as President in January 2021”.
Mr. Mahama further indicated, the Bill poses more risks than benefits to the educational system.
“The Bill, as it stands, does not only risk undermining academic innovation and ingenuity; it will also jettison decades of scholarly excellence and adversely affect Ghana’s position as the preferred destination for international scholarly collaboration.”
