The Private University Founders Association (PUFA) has commended the Ministry of Education for initiating steps to amend the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023) making the chartering process optional for private institutions.
The Association noted that the existing chartering framework had been widely viewed by private universities as restrictive and cumbersome, indicating that a policy shift would make the process more flexible.
“Making charter acquisition optional will provide institutions with greater flexibility to innovate and enhance their contributions to national development,” PUFA said in a statement on Monday.
The statement, signed and issued by Dr. Martin k. Gyambrah, the Executive Secretary, and copied the Ghana News Agency, highlighted Mr Haruna
Iddrisu, the Minister of Education’s recognition of the critical role private universities continued to play in broadening access to higher education.
The reaffirmed focused on Access, Relevance, and Quality (ARQ), supported by oversight from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), offered a balanced and progressive approach that promoted growth while upholding academic standards, it said.
“The Association further appreciates the support of Parliament’s Select Committee on Education, led by Hon. Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, whose advocacy for optional chartering reinforces broad stakeholder alignment,” the statement said.
“His citing of research indicating that the government saves approximately fifty thousand (GHC50,000) Ghana Cedis per student enrolled in Private Institutions highlights the substantial value private universities deliver to the state.”
Reaffirming its commitment to national development, PUFA stated its readiness to collaborate with the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders to strengthen Ghana’s tertiary education sector and support meaningful reforms.