The Minister of Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, has committed to integrating teachers trained at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) into the Ghana Education Service (GES).
This announcement was made during a courtesy call by a delegation from UEW, led by its Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stephen Jobson Mitchual.
During the meeting, Hon. Iddrisu acknowledged that the Ministry of Education has not been optimizing the use of UEW graduates in the recruitment of teachers, despite the comprehensive training they have received.
“I have taken notice of the situation and will address it to ensure that UEW-trained teachers are properly absorbed into the system,” stated Hon. Iddrisu.
This development is expected to bring relief to UEW graduates who have faced challenges in securing employment with the GES.
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Prof. Stephen Jobson Mitchual, addressing the Minister of Education, expressed the university’s concerns and highlighted several critical issues impacting the institution.
The UEW delegation pointed out challenges with Governing Council appointments, land encroachment and legal disputes, staffing shortages, and employment concerns.
In response, the Minister assured the delegation of his ministry’s willingness to address these challenges.
Additionally, Hon. Iddrisu announced that the National Research Fund would be rolled out later in the year, providing funding opportunities for academic research in various fields.
“I encourage UEW to take advantage of this initiative to support its research activities,” he said.
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The Minister also addressed UEW’s concerns regarding the difficulty in replacing retiring or departing staff due to government clearance requirements.
He revealed that he had already raised the issue with the Minister of Finance and was working on a solution.
Hon. Iddrisu acknowledged UEW’s persistent challenge with land encroachment and expressed his full support in addressing this matter.
“Should there be any correspondence that I need to submit to the Lands Commission to ensure the protection of the university’s lands, please inform me. I am prepared to instruct the Lands Commission to honour UEW’s ownership of its lands in accordance with Ghanaian law,” he stated.
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Regarding the composition of university governing councils, Hon. Iddrisu stated that all councils would be reconstituted by 30th March 2025.
He mentioned that he had already engaged the President of the Republic and other key stakeholders to ensure the selection process complies with the law.
“I have instructed the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) and the Ministry to request institutional representation directly from the universities for the nominations. Once GTEC submits the nominations, we will incorporate them within the legal framework. Our role will be to appoint only one woman, one man, and the chairperson,” he explained.