Check authenticity of institution-NAB urges prospective online students

Page 11
02-03-09


THE National Accreditation Board (NAB) has urged persons who wish to pursue online and distance-learning courses to cross-check with the board to ascertain the authenticity or otherwise of the institutions offering such courses before they apply to undertake the courses.
In addition, it has called on employers to cross-check the authenticity of the certificates of those who claim to have taken online and distance courses from the board.
The Executive Secretary of the NAB, Mr Kwame Dattey, told the Daily Graphic that persons offering online and distance-learning programmes had the tendency to hire the services of other people to do their thesis and other academic work for them.
He said NAB checked the syllabi that such institutions were offering against what was being offered in the country, and also had to check whether they were following the country’s admissions requirements.
Moreover, he said, some of the institutions offering online and distance-learning programmes did not qualify to operate in their countries of origin and so offered programmes to unsuspecting students outside their own countries.
He gave the names of some of the recognised institutions that were offering online and distance-learning programmes as Accra Institute of Technology, University of Applied Management, Quality Distance Learning Centre and Sikkim Manipal University.
He charged the authorities of private tertiary institutions to cross-check the authenticity of certificates presented by applicants for admission from bodies such as the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
The move, he said, was to ensure that applicants did not use fake certificates to gain admission into their institutions, saying that the “the public institutions are strict on these things and even go to the extent of publishing the names and photographs of those who use fake documents to enter their institutions”.
Mr Dattey also asked students to check the accreditation of institutions, especially the private ones, before applying to them, and stated that currently 34 private tertiary institutions affiliated to some public and foreign universities had been accredited by the board. Twenty others, he said, were on the waiting list to be accredited.
He said accreditation was not a one off thing and that before the expiry date of an accreditation, an institution would have to re-apply. The minimum period of accreditation, he said, was three years while the maximum was five years.
He said some institutions had been accredited to run Business, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and theology programmes.
Mr Dattey expressed concern about the way some private tertiary institutions admitted students, and said that such institutions admitted students who had more than the nationally accepted aggregate of 24, and organised remedial programmes for the unqualified applicants and admitted them.
“We are auditing the institutions and this is what we are identifying. When we identify particular students, we send their names to the universities the private institution is affiliated to, and ask the universities not to graduate those unqualified students,” he explained.
He called on the public to give them information if they suspected that something untoward was happening, saying that they, were paying the money and so they should not keep quiet.
Mr Dattey mentioned some of the major problems the board faced as far as the private institutions were concerned as the use of unqualified teachers and admission of unqualified students.
Mr Dattey also said the public tertiary institutions had the problem of overcrowding but that “it appears they are taking steps to solve them with the support of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund)”.
At the end of 2008, he said, the public universities were seven; University of Ghana (UoG), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), University of Cape Coast (UCC), University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), University of Development Studies (UDS) and the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT).
He said five (out of 10) polytechnics; Ho, Accra, Cape Coast, Sunyani and Takoradi had been given accreditation to run B-Tech degrees in some programmes.
Mr Datttey gave the names of the other public tertiary institutions offering degree courses alongside their original programmes as the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ), National Film and Television Institution (NAFTI) and the Regional Maritime University (RMU).

President awards for school children

Page 11
March 6, 2009

ONE key feature in the country’s independence day celebrations for the past 16 years is the President’s Awards for school children.
The annual event organised to honour school children on independence day, seeks to motivate them and to also inspire their mates to learn harder in order to reach greater heights in their education.
Since it was instituted, 270 school children who have completed basic education have been awarded by a sitting President of the country.
During the Independence Day parade, 20 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) graduates, selected from the 10 regions are presented with scholarships by the government for the duration of their studies in senior high school. Two winners each are selected from a region.
Apart from the scholarship, each winner is also presented with money, a book and a certificate signed by the President and the Minister of Education.
The selection of the award winners starts from the school level through to the district, where District Directors constitute interview panels comprising experienced educationists, School Management Committees (SMCs) and district assembly representatives, among other personalities to interview prospective candidates.
The criteria for selection are: performance in the BECE (not necessarily 10 ones), participation in co-curricular activities, particularly involvement in school or club activities, sports, community services and leadership roles. The rest are: exemplary conduct and good moral behaviour and other special qualities of excellence.
The award winners for last year who are currently in senior high school two (SHS 2) are: Esther Awinpoak Abalua and Emmanuel Wintiig Adakudugu, Upper East Region; Saaka Amina Darimani and Abdul-Kudus Chibu, Upper West Region; Unity Felicia Adua and Sulemana Hafiz Abubakari, Northern Region; Adwoa Ening Adu-Nti and Michael Oppong Antwi, Brong Ahafo Region as well as Linda Ama Bonsu and Robert Baah Yawson from the Ashanti Region.
The others are: Emmanuella Akwaboah and Gabriel Kwesi Dwomoh, Western Region; Vanesa Sangari and Emmanuel Edem Klu, Central Region; Eyram Akosua Dzawu and Sebastian Kwame Gudu, Volta Region; Joyce Asiedua Acheampong and Emmanuel Aboagye Apau, Eastern Region and Ivy Sackey and Robert Nii Atsem Kpakpo, Greater Accra Region.
According to the Coordinator, Mrs Elizabeth Quarmyne, the institution of the award had been beneficial as most of the winners had either completed university or were in university, adding that they had also distinguished themselves in their various fields of endeavours.
She said a comprehensive check would be made on the achievements of the award winners to serve as a motivation to others, “but from our little checks they are doing very well”.
She said there had never been an occasion when the award was withdrawn from an award winner as a result of poor performance, and that the winners had always justified the awards given to them.
Mrs Quarmyne explained that between 1993-1999, a student each from the 10 regions was awarded and that the figure was increased from one to two from each region in 2000.
She said apart from the 4-year scholarship being provided by government, Milo is the title sponsor of the Independence Day awards for this year. As part of its sponsorship package, it is providing GH¢ 400.00 cash, special plaque, stationery to each winner and providing accommodation and feeding, as well as taking them on excursions to a few places. Readwide is also presenting them with books.
An Assistant Director of the Public Relations Unit of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr Paul Krampah said the award winners were in fields of medicine and engineering.
“They have performed excellently and have justified the trust reposed in them,” he emphasised, saying that the awards have served as motivation to others.