Mr. Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, has expressed regret that education standards in the region had not reached the desirable level and welcomed the attempt by Valley View University (VVU) to help improve it.
He said this in a speech read for him at the inauguration of 21 distance learning students and 105 pre-degree students of the university as pioneer students at its Techiman campus.
Mr. Nyamekye-Marfo commended the VVU for extending its scope to the region to bring quality tertiary education to the doorsteps of the people.
He said the government was committed to the programme for the benefit of the people of Techiman and the region and appealed to non-governmental organisations, institutions and individuals to help uplift education in the region.
Professor Joseph Kwame Osei, Provost of the university, said the VVU would offer programmes in Business Administration with option in Accounting, Human Resource and Finance and Marketing as well as Agricultural Business, Computer Science and Education.
Prof. Osei said the VVU would showcase the Agricultural Business programme with 50 percent Agricultural Science and 50 percent Business to enable students to create and manage their own businesses and improve seed production, crop and animal husbandry, storage methods, processing and marketing.
In addition to this programme, the Provost said, a rigorous extension programme for farmers and soya bean milk processing would be ready by September to produce soyabean milk to feed school children in Techiman Municipality.
Prof. Osei said the Seventh Day Adventist Church (SDA) was doing what it could to provide infrastructure, teaching and learning materials as well as research.
He appealed to churches, philanthropists and well-to-do citizens to contribute in raising funds to support the university's activities and urged Techiman Municipal Assembly to help rope the university into the GETFund and other government education funds.
Professor Christopher Ameyaw Akumfi, MP for Techiman North, reiterated the need for private sector participation in tertiary education and appealed to the VVU to strengthen vocational reforms for the pre-degree programme.
Nana Oyeadeeyie Ansah Akompanin, Krobohene and Kyidomhene of Techiman Traditional Area who presided, appealed to the government to support mission schools as they are playing a major role in the education sector.
He commended the church for elevating the institution into a university and appealed to the authorities to attach importance to God along side academic excellence.