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Private Universities urged to stay relevant
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Private Universities need to focus on relevance, agility and excellence to ensure that their institutions adapt and succeed in the educational sector, Professor Ato Essuman, Dean, School of Research and Graduate Studies and Professional development, Methodist University Ghana (MUG), has said.
Prof Essuman made the remark when he delivered a public lecture organised by the MUG on the topic, “Ghana’s Private Universities in Crises: Were They Founded as a Necessary Risk or a Public Relation Gimmick? Time to Rethink.”
The Dean said whether they were seeking solutions to global conflict, or developing their understanding of literature, they must be relevant and be willing to engage with society to show how that was the case.
He said Universities had traditionally been slow to respond to external influences; ‘slow but sure’ has often been the motive but the pace of externally driven change would surely only increase.
Prof Essuman said excellence in the development of knowledge and inspiration of learners was critical for all, such that Private Universities could not prosper if they were not good at what they do.
He said to survive in the education field, Private Universities must become more ‘business-like’, while at the same time focus on what they were good at and emphasise the very things that make them different.
Prof Essuman said few Private Tertiary Institutions pay attention to planning to enable leadership to give strategic direction to the institution.
“Out of 15 institutions sampled, only four had strategic plans which had not lapsed and only two out of the four whose plan had not lapsed, got serious with its implementation and monitoring,” he noted.
He said many acknowledged their importance but were demotivated by the inadequate resources to fund it.
According to him, the strategic plan helped the organisation to be proactive rather than reactive, instilled a shared sense of responsibility and increased operational efficiency among leadership.
The Dean said the lack of it presented chaos due to the ad hoc nature of decision-making and actions based only on leadership experience, discretion and indiscretion.
He said it was important for Private Universities to focus on soft skills in the curriculum and align their educational offerings with in-demand skills.
The Dean said the hard skills that were in demand change frequently in the rapidly changing world, but soft skills, including critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, negotiation skills, interpersonal skills, and leadership skills could prove to be invaluable in the eyes of employers.
Prof Essuman said thatuniversities must ensure that what they offered to students was relevant to the industry.
MTN Ghana has undertaken a tree-planting exercise at the Chipa Forest Reserve as part of its commitment to protecting the planet and support the restoration of degraded sections of the forest.
The activity forms part of the company’s 2026 Sustainability Month celebration held under the theme “Small Actions: Big Impact,” and its 30th anniversary celebration.
It was held in partnership with the Forestry Commission (FC) and the Rainforest Alliance with MTN Ghana supporting the restoration of approximately two hectares of degraded forest through the planting of 1,666 trees.
Due to the current dry weather conditions, 833 trees were planted during the exercise, with the remaining 833 to be planted when the rain commences.
The exercise brought together MTN employee volunteers, officials from the Forestry Commission and representatives of the Rainforest Alliance, demonstrating the importance of collaboration in driving environmental sustainability.
Speaking at the event, the Acting General Manager for Sustainability and Shared Value at MTN Ghana, Georgina Asare Fiagbenu, emphasized the critical role trees play in sustaining life and protecting the environment.
“Trees are essential to human survival and healthy ecosystems. They absorb carbon dioxide, release oxygen, regulate temperatures, protect soil, support biodiversity and provide habitats for many species. They also conserve water, reduce erosion and help communities adapt to the effects of climate change,” she said.
The District Manager of the Tema-Ada Forest Services Division of the Forestry Commission, Linda Ansah, welcomed MTN Ghana’s support, describing it as a valuable contribution to efforts aimed at restoring degraded sections of the reserve.
The Country Director of the Rainforest Alliance, Nicholas Jengri, also welcomed the partnership and emphasised the importance of collective action in addressing environmental challenges.
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The Ministry of Education (MOE) has warned students, parents and guardians against fake and digitally manipulated Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) placement slips being circulated on social media.
The MOE said it had detected attempts by some unscrupulous individuals to digitally alter placement slips and circulate them online with claims that students’ original school placements had been changed by the Ministry.
A statement signed by Mr Hashmin Mohammed, the Press Secretary to the Minister of Education issued to the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday, described the claims as “false and misleading.”
It said preliminary internal verification had established that some of the placement slips being circulated did not correspond with records generated from the official CSSPS platform.
The statement noted that discrepancies had been identified in the barcodes and QR codes appearing on some of the purported placement slips.
“The codes did not match the placement information displayed on the documents being circulated as evidence of alleged changes,” it added.
The Ministry’s system records and audit logs did not support the claims being made by individuals circulating the materials, the statement said.
“The evidence available to the Ministry indicates that the affected documents have been digitally manipulated or otherwise altered to create the impression that students’ placements have been changed.”
It described the alleged manipulation as a serious attempt to undermine public confidence in the CSSPS process and create confusion and anxiety among students, parents and guardians.
The statement indicated that the Ministry had referred the matter to the Cyber Security Authority and other relevant security agencies for further investigation and appropriate action. It urged the public to exercise caution and avoid sharing unverified placement slips or claims about placement changes on social media.
Parents, guardians and students have also been advised to rely only on placement information obtained through official CSSPS channels.
The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that the 2026 CSSPS exercise was conducted with transparency, fairness, integrity and accountability, adding that legitimate concerns regarding placement would be investigated through the appropriate channels.
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