The former Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Professor Mohammed Salifu, has stated that the processes to create three comprehensive national policy documents to harmonize educational qualifications in the nation will be completed in a year.

Professor Mohammed Salifu explained that the policy documents is to enable the country develop an education and qualification system which is “relevant, adaptable and futuristic”. He added that Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) was “painstakingly” working with 15 relevant institutions and professional bodies to roll out the comprehensive system within the projected one-year period.

“The National Qualifications Framework (NQF) is a policy instrument that provides a structured framework for organising and recognising qualifications which would ensure consistency, comparability, equality, and transparency of qualifications of all sub-sectors of education in the Ghanaian Education System.”
Professor Mohammed Salifu

The documents are the national qualification framework for all levels and sub-sectors of education and training; the recognition of prior learning (RPL) for mainly the informal sector, and the credit accumulation and transfer (CAT) system mainly for students.

The former Director-General of GTEC, Prof. Salifu announced this at a workshop jointly organized by the GTEC and the African Continental Qualifications Framework (ACQF-II).

The African Continental Qualifications Framework (ACQF-II) is a project of the African-European Union partnership, implemented by the European Training Foundation, in collaboration with countries, regions, and the African Union Commission.

Stakeholders were drawn from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Ministries of Education, Employment and Labour Relations, the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET), the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

Others were the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA), the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), the Conference of Principals of Colleges of Education (PRINCOF), Vice-Chancellors of Ghana, Vice-Chancellors of Technical Universities of Ghana (VCTU-G), and the Council of Independent Universities (CIU).

The rest were from the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), the Association of Professional Bodies, and the Attorney-General’s Department.

National Qualifications Framework (NQF)

According to the former Director-General, the documents, when completed, would facilitate international recognition of qualifications by educational institutions and companies, enhance job mobility, access to decent jobs, quality assurance, and standards.

Professor Mohammed Salifu reiterated that it would also ensure coherence and career progression, both within and outside the country.

He further highlighted that Tertiary-level students would also be able to transfer their credit hours from one institution to another within and outside the country to enable them to continue their education.

Prof. Salifu again revealed that there were about 3,200 existing accredited programs in institutions in the country that led to specific qualifications that would be harmonized when the processes were completed.

The former Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) said under the comprehensive policy documents “the nomenclature for these qualifications would be developed so that we can avoid confusion and define clearer learning outcomes”.

According to him, the institutions set up like the universities and other degree-awarding institutions’ qualifications should be in line with the nation’s development strategy or priorities.

Professor Mohammed Salifu stated that there was a need to put in place comprehensive systems to ensure that those awarding institutions conduct their activities based on certain frameworks and also fit for global benchmarks.

He highlighted the country’s efforts to attract foreign students and ensure that degrees are globally recognized and acceptable across the sub-region and beyond.

The development of these policy documents is expected to significantly enhance the quality, accessibility, and relevance of education in Ghana, contributing to economic development, social cohesion, and international recognition. These outcomes will be instrumental in achieving Ghana’s development goals and improving the lives of its citizens.