We’re ready for first batch of Free SHS products - Prof. Ameyaw-Asabere
The Methodist University College says it has enough space to absorb the first batch of the products of the Free SHS policy.
The President of the Methodist University College, Ghana, (MUCG), Professor Akwasi Asabere-Ameyaw, who stated this, said the Dansoman Campus, which currently had about 3,000 students, was capable of admitting more than 10,000 students.
He made this known when he spoke to the Daily Graphic at the Wenchi Campus of the MUCG after the 13th matriculation ceremony during which 90 freshmen were formally admitted to pursue various diploma and bachelor programmes.
The Wenchi Campus of the MUCG offers Bachelor of Science (Food Science and General Agriculture) and Bachelor of Business Administration (Accounting, Banking and Finance, Human Resource Management and Management Studies).
Tuition fee
Prof. Asabere-Ameyaw appealed to the government to extend the free tuition fees policy to products of the Free SHS who might decide to access private university education.
He observed that some of the private universities had been established not as profit-making ventures but rather to support the government to provide higher education for qualified Ghanaians.
Prof. Asabere-Ameyaw stated that as efforts were being made for the first batch of the Free SHS programme to be absorbed into the various universities, the government should allow students who gained admission into the private universities to enjoy free tuition as their counterparts in the public universities.
“Every Ghanaian is entitled to free tuition and so any individual who decides to access university education through the private university should be given free tuition,” he said and added that “if the government supports students in private universities with free tuition, you can be sure that private university fees will be low.”
Non profit-making
He explained that students in private universities paid for tuition, accommodation, academic facility user fees and if the government decided to absorb tuition fees, “half of the fees would be gone and we will be charging just like any other public university”.
“The Methodist Church is always ready to support the university to provide higher education for Ghanaians so we will work around the clock to admit as many students as possible should we have the opportunity,” he added.
“Look at this huge Wenchi Campus of the MUCG. Our students are not up to 200 here. We have two campuses in Wenchi which will be able to take a minimum of 1,000 students”, he stated.
Matriculants
Prof. Ameyaw-Asabere said the university intended to open other satellite campuses in places such as Techiman which had facilities to absorbed more students if the Wenchi Campus was unable to admit students who would apply for admission.
Prof. Asabere-Ameyaw advised the matriculants never to make any attempt to test the capabilities of their lecturers during lectures.
Contribution to society
On its contribution to communities in the area, Prof. Ameyaw-Asabere said the Wenchi campus had collaborated with other institutions to train farmers on proper farming practices.
He stated that in the next three to five years, the Wenchi Campus, which is situated on a 165-acre land, would be autonomous to enable it to adequately provide tertiary education for people in that part of the country and beyond.
In a speech read on his behalf, the Bishop of the Wenchi Diocese of the Methodist Church, Right Reverend Alfred Appiah Andam, asked the students to take advantage of the facilities on the campus to develop their potential.