President interacts with NUGS

By Edmund Mingle
President John Evans Atta Mills yesterday gave the strongest indication of government’s commitment to increase access to tertiary education in the country, saying that the government was reviewing education policies in that regard.

The measures for increased access to tertiary education, which is part of a comprehensive policy on education to be presented to Parliament before the end of the year, he said was to ensure that there were more educational facilities to admit more qualified candidates who may have been denied access.

President Mills, who said these when the Executive of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), called on him at the Castle in Accra, the government considered the development of the youth critical to nation’s future, and would therefore commit resources to improve the educational system.

Resources, he said would be channeled into the development and expansion of educational infrastructure and other facilities required for effective and productive tertiary education.

For a start, the government, he said was committing GHc 12.1million to enhance the Students Loan Scheme, as well as review the loans upwards for the 2010 disbursement formula.

Although the government would want to have all students supported under the loan scheme, he said measures were being undertaken in collaboration with the Council for Tertiary Education, to ensure that the loans went to those who really needed them.

Responding to a suggestion by the NUGS President, Ishmael Tweneboa-Kodua, that there should be a law that ensure that governments do not tamper with the educational structure for a stipulated number of years as a way of ensuring consistency in the system, the President disagreed.

Although he shared the view that there was a need for a sustained system, he said sometimes there was a need for reforms to ensure that the educational system responds to the exigencies pf the times.

“Our objective is that young people are given quality education,” he said.

He gave assurance that the government would put in place the right structures to enhance the education system, adding that “as leaders, the least we can do is to nurture the human resources of the nation.”

He lauded the visit of the executive to the Presidency, and assured them that the government would continue to interact with the youth as partners in development.

“I know your worth and what you can contribute to national development,” he told the executives.
President Mills urged the youth in general to only learn from the good sides of the older generation, and not imitate the bad sides.

That, he said was because the bad deeds of the older generation were inimical to national growth.

He also asked the older generation to desist from misleading the young people since that could adversely affect the nation’s future.

Haruna Iddrisu, Minister of Communications who led a number of young Ministers in President Mills’ administration to the meeting, said that as much as government was determined to develop the talent of the youth, it was also committed to check crimes by the youth.

He announced that a Cyber Security Bill was being prepared for passage by Parliament which would result in the establishment of a Centre to police cyber activities as a way of effectively checking internet fraud which has become a menace in the country.

“The youth is not just the future leaders but the nation’s wealth and health which should be protected and nurtured,” he said.

Touching on tertiary education and the challenges in national development, he reminded the universities of the need to revise their curricula especially in information technology, to effectively address the need of industry.

The NUGS President, in his address earlier, thanked the President for granting them audience, and commended the government for initiatives towards the full implementation of the National Youth Policy.

“This policy, we are convinced would give the youth of this nation a sense of direction, purpose and hope,” Mr. Tweneboa-Kodua said.

The Union, he said was happy that many of its concerns were addressed in the manifesto of the ruling National Democratic Congress, adding that it was inspiring to know that the importance of the Union had been recognised.

He said it was retrogressive for a nation to fail to harness the abilities of the youth, but noted that NUGS was convinced that there was a brighter future for the youth in Ghana judging from the fact that more young people have been given positions in the president administration.

He assured the government of the support of the leadership of NUGS in developing the country, adding that “NUGS should not be seen as a pressure group but a major partner in development.”