Mature students admissions was initially designated for prospective students with a minimum year of 25 however a reported growing trend in some tertiary institutions where some applicants below the required were gaining admissions have informed revised rules from the country tertiary education regulator, Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).

In a formal statement issued on April 2, the regulator announced the new rules governing mature students admission in tertiary institutions nationwide.

Earlier rules vs revised rules

Earlier,applicants only needed to be at least 25 years old and sit for and pass an entrance examination organized by the institution with a documented proof of work experience of five (5) years not strictly required or enforced. Institutions also had considerable discretion in setting additional requirements, which led to inconsistencies across different schools.

However, under the revised rules, the minimum age requirement of 25 years remains unchanged, and the entrance examination is still compulsory. However, the major shift is that applicants must now provide evidence of at least five years of verifiable work experience. This requirement is no longer optional but mandatory.

Also, GTEC added tha applicants must have at least grade E in core and elective subjects under both the SSSCE and WASSCE systems, including English Language and Mathematics.

It also noted that all prospective mature students must pass entrance examinations in English, Mathematics and an aptitude test, particularly for admission into chartered institutions. For mentored institutions, the exams must be moderated and vetted by the designated mentor institutions.

Non-compliance consequences

The directive, according to GTEC, is mandatory, and any deviation would lead to the admission of unqualified candidates, undermining academic standards warning that non-complianece by institutions could lead to revocation of accreditation.

Meanwhile, in October last year, a list of 50 tertiary institutions was released by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) for operating against approved standards. The Commission’s Director-General, Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, through a statement dated October 20 cautioned the public against engaging with these institutions.

“The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) wishes to formally notify all Heads of Tertiary Institutions that the institutions listed below are currently not recognised by the Commission due to various accreditation and quality assurance breaches.Treat this caution with the seriousness it deserves,” part of the statement read.

Among the institutions are: University Azteca, Mexico, Indian School of Management and Studies, India, Breyer State Theology University, USA, Debest College of Science, Arts and Business, Ghana, Osiri University, USA, Atlantic International University, USA, Atlantic International University, USA, Faith University Seminary (FUS), Ghana, Christian University College, Monrovia, Liberia, Rhema Bible Training College (RBTC), USA, Universidad Empresarial deCosta Rica, Costa Rica, Selinus University of Science and Literature, Italy.

In September, the GTEC closed down Some 149 institutions running open distance learning across the country without accreditation.According to the Director-General of GTEC, Professor Ahmed Abdulai Jinapor, the centres of such institutions are “unfit for purpose.”

At a two-day workshop in Accra last week on implementing Ghana’s Open and Distance Learning (ODL) policy for quality assurance and tertiary education stakeholders, he noted that the operations of several institutions fall short of being recognized as legitimate distance learning.

“Unfortunately, distance education seems to be replaced with distance education. Distancing education manifesting in institutions moving across this country to replicate what is happening in traditional classrooms cannot be deemed as distance education.”

“In fact, as we speak, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission has flagged some 149 distance learning centers that we think are not fit for purpose. These centers are found in second cycle institutions, institutions that are overstretched as a result of the double track”“We have centers being organized in churches, public services, public works departments, and electricity companies. In fact, we cannot allow this to happen,” he stated.

He further emphasized that distance learning is not merely an alternative to conventional education but a central pillar for expanding access, promoting equity, and fostering innovation in tertiary education.Consequently, the Commission gave institutions a grace period to follow the proper procedures and secure authorization to run these programmes in approved facilities.

“As a commission, we’ve issued a moratorium to all these institutions to teach our students in these centers and to seek accreditation for facilities that are fit for purpose. Today, we are launching this particular policy involving quality assurance.”

“What we’ve realized as a commission is that quality assurance in most of these institutions becomes overly transactional. Institutions do what they are supposed to do to please us and once we leave, then it’s business as usual. We cannot allow that,” he noted.

Commonwealth Consultant for the Open Distance Learning Policy, Professor Olugbemiro Jegede, stressed the need for Ghana to reach a consensus on the definition of open distance learning and provide clear guidance for its implementation.

“What are you doing? Which is fantastic. However, we must begin from the beginning. And that’s where we think it’s better for us, not only to listen to aspects of the policy that has been put out, we should actually come to a concerted, a negotiated agreement as to what distance-learning means.”

“What does distance-learning mean? If I ask everybody, we’ll have more than 40 different answers. But we want to have a single, negotiated understanding of what distance-learning means, as well as what open-learning means. There’s a difference between distance-learning and open-learning,” he added.

Last month, operations at the Nyarkotey University College of Holistic Medicine and Technology were brought to a halt following a directive by GTEC.

The order came after GTEC’s investigations uncovered that Nyarkotey University College had been operating against the standards for tertiary education in the country. The university college was said to be offering an unapproved Bachelor of Technology (BTech) programme in Naturopathy and Holistic Medicine with various specializations.

According to GTEC, the university does not hold the required accreditation. The college had also been instructed to cease promoting the school through advertising until all regulatory requirements are fully met. The Authority has demanded that Nyarkotey University College fast-track the necessary processes to acquire the proper certification as a condition for resuming its academic services.