Dear Hon. Haruna Iddrisu,
Respectfully, I write to you with a deep sense of patriotism and concern regarding the growing threats confronting Ghana’s tertiary education system. This letter is motivated not by criticism, but by love for country and belief in education as the backbone of national development.
Mr Minister, I respectfully invite your office to consider the following issues as urgent matters that, if left unaddressed, risk undermining the future of tertiary education in Ghana.
1. Shrinking Funding and Declining Admissions
Inadequate funding has begun to take a visible toll on tertiary admissions. Projections indicate that admissions for the 2025/2026 academic year may drop to about 160,000 students, down from 195,000 in the previous year. If this trajectory continues, Ghana risks reversing years of educational progress, a path we must not dare to follow.
2. Inadequate Infrastructure
Across the country, many tertiary institutions struggle with insufficient infrastructure. Overcrowded lecture halls, poorly equipped laboratories, limited libraries, and the absence of sporting and recreational facilities are eroding the quality of teaching and learning, while stifling holistic student development.
3. Teacher Shortages in Deprived Areas
The shortage of trained academic staff, particularly in deprived districts, remains a critical challenge. Institutions in these areas are unable to attract or retain qualified lecturers, widening educational inequality and leaving entire communities behind.
4. Quality, Relevance, and Graduate Unemployment
There is growing concern about the relevance of some tertiary programmes to Ghana’s national development priorities. Too many graduates emerge with qualifications misaligned with market needs, contributing directly to the persistent problem of graduate unemployment.
5. Inequitable Access to Tertiary Education
Financial barriers continue to deny many qualified but vulnerable students access to tertiary education. Tuition fees and related costs have crushed the dreams of countless brilliant young Ghanaians, through no fault of their own, deepening inequality and social exclusion.
6. Perceived Regulatory Overreach
The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), while established to sanitise and strengthen the sector, has been accused of overstepping its mandate in ways that may undermine academic freedom and institutional autonomy. Regulation must protect standards without suffocating innovation and excellence.
7. Teacher Welfare and Salary-Related Distress
An increasingly worrying trend is the constant movement of teachers to Accra to resolve salary and administrative issues. This not only disrupts academic work but also deepens frustration, making the teaching profession less attractive to the next generation.
8. National Service as a Source of Trauma
For many graduates, national service has become less of a bridge to the job market and more of a source of uncertainty, anxiety, and disillusionment. Instead of building resilience and skills, the process often erodes morale at a critical stage of youth development.
Honourable Minister,
These challenges collectively underscore the urgent need for increased funding, balanced regulation, improved welfare systems, and a strategic realignment of tertiary education with Ghana’s development agenda.
The future of our youth, and by extension, the future of Ghana, depends on the decisions made today.
Thank you for your time and service to the nation.
Yours sincerely,
Nana Kweku Ofori Atta
Security Analyst
By paqmediagh/Peter Quao Adattor
