Ghana Tertiary Education Commission Reaffirms Commitment to Quality Despite Court Ruling

Ghana's Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) remains committed to safeguarding the integrity of higher education, even after a High Court ruling challenged one of its directives. Professor Ahmed Abdulai Jinapor, GTEC's Director-General, emphasized that the commission's resolve to uphold quality and credibility is undiminished.

The recent High Court decision concerned GTEC's directive that certificates from Universidad Empresarial de Costa Rica (UNEM) should not be recognized for professional advancement in Ghana. The court, however, overturned this directive, ruling that administrative decisions impacting citizens must adhere to constitutional principles of fairness and reasonableness.

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However, let me be absolutely clear that the ruling does not diminish our commitment to protecting the quality and credibility of tertiary education in Ghana.

Speaking at the investiture of Professor Denis Worlanyo Aheto as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Prof. Jinapor highlighted the concerns raised by the UNEM case regarding foreign qualifications. He cautioned prospective students to exercise thorough due diligence before investing in programs from potentially unrecognized institutions.

As the statutory regulator under the Education Reform Act, 2020, GTEC is firm in its mandate to maintain academic standards. The commission recently published a list of 90 institutions worldwide lacking recognition due to quality assurance issues. Prof. Jinapor stressed the importance of equipping graduates with economically relevant skills and ensuring universities uphold academic integrity, pledging GTEC's support for UCC's mission to produce competent graduates with globally respected degrees.

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Together, we must strengthen our academic programmes, deepen our research outputs, and enhance our community engagement whilst ensuring that UCC remains a lighthouse of knowledge illuminating the path for Ghana, Africa, and the world.