The University Teachers’ Association of Ghana (UTAG) is calling on government to immediately lift the ban on recruitment and replacement of academic staff in the universities.
This, they said, would enable them to cope with the increasing enrolment of students in the universities and also enhance the quality of teaching and learning.
In a communiqué issued after their 17th National Biennial Congress at the University of Ghana, on the theme ‘Graduate Unemployment: A Failure of Tertiary Education’, UTAG said tertiary education was not wholly to be blamed for the current graduate unemployment situation in the country.
According to them, tertiary institutions have in the past trained, and continue to train, graduates based on their core mandate of training critical thinkers who can apply the knowledge and skills acquired broadly.
The communiqué stated that institutions have over the years revised their curriculum to reflect new thinking based on research and the development needs of the country, adding that they have even expanded their programmes to reflect changing trends in the industry.
“Training of personnel to perform specific job functions is not part of the mandate of tertiary institutions, but is rather the obligation of industry --- a job which many corporate organisations will want to shirk,” it further stated.
It said government needed to create an enabling environment for job creation to cope with the current rising graduate unemployment situation in the country.
UTAG indicated that in order to contribute towards national development, they will be instituting a “Dialogue Series” in the near future to serve as a platform to discuss issues of national interest.
In a related development, UTAG has a new president, Dr Harry L.K. Agbanu, with the Department for the Study of Religions, College of Humanities, University of Ghana, Legon.
He had his B.A (Hons) and MPhil from the University of Ghana and his Doctorate from the University of Ghana and University of Northern Colorado, USA.
Dr Agbanu’s area of expertise is Theological and Philosophical Studies. His interest is in investigating indigenous knowledge systems and their relevance to modern-day living. He is currently investigating indigenous Ghanaian religious-cultural beliefs and practices and their impact on environmental sustainability.
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