Deputy Director General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, GTEC, Professor Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai says Media Houses advertising unaccredited Tertiary Institution could be liable of a criminal offense.
Professor Abdulai said under the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), culprits could face imprisonment of not less than 15 years.
He said the Commission will soon publish the names of Universities and Media Houses that advertise unaccredited tertiary programmes.
He advised the public to visit its website, www.gtec.edu.gh to check the accreditation status of Tertiary Institutions before applying to Universities.
Professor Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, said this during a media interaction on the advertisement of unaccredited programmes of Tertiary Institutions in Ghana.
The Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), mandates the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, to take legal action against any media house that publishes or advertises unaccredited programmes or institutions from Tertiary Education Institutions.
On the running of unaccredited programmes by the Tertiary Institutions, the Deputy Director-General Professor Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai said the Act states that Tertiary Institutions shall not operate or run a programme without accreditation by the Board.
He explained that before an institution can run as a tertiary institution in the country, it must go through some accreditation processes and be granted approval to operate by the Board of the Commission.
The Deputy Director-General advised tertiary institutions to adhere to the provisions of the Act to avoid punishment.
The Auditor General’s report for 2021 revealed that over 600 academic programmes at the University of Ghana and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) were not accredited in 2021.
A total of 374 academic programmes at the University of Ghana were unaccredited and 299 programmes at KNUST were also not accredited. He said based on the report, the University of Ghana in 2022, increased its accreditation status to 129.8 per cent, KNUST improved to 118.5 per cent and the University of Cape Coast moved to 41.9 per cent.
Prof Abdulai said the Commission would work assiduously to ensure zero tolerance for non-accredited programmes in tertiary institutions.
He expressed concern about institutions using the premises of Senior High Schools and Junior High Schools for distance education, which is against the infrastructure requirements of Tertiary Institutions.
Prof Abdulai advised parents to do conduct due diligence while choosing Tertiary Institutions for their wards, stating that the aim of the Commission is to ensure quality assurance and value for money for its stakeholders.
SOURCE: GNA
