The General Secretary of the Ghana Union of Professional Students (GUPS), Honorable Eric Murphy Asare has partly blamed politicians for the poor education structure in the country.
Speaking at the United Nations Youth Association-Ghana (UNYA-GH) 1st virtual conference in commemoration of the Africa Youth Month (AYM) 2022, with the theme “Activating Ghana’s Youthful tertiary students front to leverage Advocacy for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063 opportunities in education, politics, health, and socio-economic development locally and globally” the Honorable Eric Murphy noted with great concern, that the hierarchy of the Ghana Union of Professional Students are worried over lack of adequate infrastructure, learning materials, Government subsidies to private tertiaries and high bills that the professional student incurs.
He bemoaned, education as being said, should be the key to success and the bedrock of the development of every nation including those of the African continent but unfortunately, the Ghanaian student is still under the influence of educational slavery where he has to learn so many subjects that are not related to the course of study.
“One does not need to be an expert in education or hold a doctorate in education to know that the future of Ghana’s education is in jeopardy and this in my view should be blamed partly if not wholly on our politicians and leaders,” he said.
He added that it’s time we do away with parental and external influence in choosing a course to study at the tertiary level and let the ward decide for himself.
“Every parent wants their ward to become a doctor, or an engineer because these are more highly respected professions than the mason or the carpenter, so the child who was supposed to be trained as a carpenter ends up becoming a doctor. So he sees an injection as a hammer and hammering anyhow and killing patients who are under his care.
According to him, most Ghanaians are disillusioned and disappointed about the way our politicians are toying with the future of the youth.
“According to Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr., “the function of education is to teach one to think intensively and think critically. Intelligence plus character-that is the goal of education”.
Therefore, after graduating from school, one should feel fulfilled and be transformed, well-behaved, and informed than he/she went to school, have the requisite training, and be practically equipped, but what do we see, most of our lecturers are teaching 4 different institutions at a go, he has limited time to help you with your curricular activities, how do we make it in the already saturated market,” he cried.
Honorable Eric Murphy, therefore, called on the continuous engagement of such innovations and networking among students to offer critical solutions to emerging events.
Other speakers who graced the occasion were the National Youth President, United Nations Youth Association Ghana, WH Kobina Adomadzi Longdon, Theo Masango, Regional Head SADC, Africa Young Entrepreneurs, South Africa, the president for University Students Association of Ghana (USAG) Dr. Christian Anderson Ntiful, Master Majesty Eninfi Kwesi Ofori, SRC President, UPSA, Mrs. Adeline, Lecturer Kumasi Technical University.
