Hon Dr. Kwabena Donkor MP for PRU East Constituency, has voiced out his growing worry over the deteriorating quality of graduate programs in Ghana, particularly those offered by tertiary institutions.
Dr. Kwabena Donkor highlighted what he perceives as a trend of substandard graduate education, which he believes is being exacerbated by the shortened duration of many master’s programs, especially those offered on weekends. Dr. Kwabena emphasized that the current state of these programs does not provide the necessary training and qualifications that graduate students deserve.
Dr. Kwabena Donkor specifically questioned the legitimacy of weekend and evening programs that are marketed as full-time courses despite their condensed schedules.
“We have a marketing program, a full-time program of one year, and then you have a part-time program, there’s no way an evening program can be full-time. There’s no way a weekend program can be full-time and yet we have evening programs, [and we have] weekend programs of the same duration [ which] are one year, something must suffer.”
Hon Dr. Kwabena Donkor MP for PRU East Constituency
According to Dr. Kwabena, the approach inevitably compromises the quality of education provided to students. Dr. Kwabena Donkor argued that universities are offering an incomplete educational experience, ultimately diminishing the value of their graduate programs.
Preserving the Credibility of Ghana’s Educational System
Dr. Kwabena Donkor appealed to the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to take immediate action to preserve the credibility of Ghana’s educational system. He stressed the importance of maintaining high standards, not just for the sake of students, but for the nation as a whole.
“I am worried because Ghana is uniquely positioned in the West African sub-region to be the educational hub to attract students from across the sub-region and also contribute to national revenue and the growth of our GDP.”
Hon Dr. Kwabena Donkor MP for PRU East Constituency
However, Dr. Kwabena cautioned that if the quality of education continues to decline, Ghana risks losing this unique position. “If we bastardize the quality, we will lose that unique position,”
In his appeal to the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, the Ministry of Education, and the government, Dr. Kwabena Donkor urged these bodies to scrutinize the current trends in graduate education.
“I therefore call on the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, the Ministry of Education, and the government as a whole to take a second look at this money-making machine that we are introducing to our universities.”
Hon Dr. Kwabena Donkor MP for PRU East Constituency
According to Dr. Kwabena he highlighted on profit at the expense of quality education as a dangerous trend that must be addressed immediately.
Speaking to journalists at Parliament, Dr. Kwabena emphasized that the current state of many graduate programs, especially those offered on weekends and evenings, is substandard and fails to meet the necessary educational standards.
“The essence of education, particularly graduate education, is not just the lectures, but the seminars, the interaction of students coming from various backgrounds. These are the things that make a university program, especially a graduate program, rich.”
Hon Dr. Kwabena Donkor MP for PRU East Constituency
Dr. Kwabena Donkor cautioned that by neglecting these crucial aspects, universities are delivering an incomplete educational experience, which ultimately diminishes the value of their graduate programs. Both instances reflect broader concerns about the governance and integrity of critical institutions in the country and the necessity for immediate corrective measures to safeguard Ghana’s future.
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