Free SHS university admissions space in limbo for 2020 intake

Free SHS university admissions space in limbo for 2020 intake and public universities in Ghana are worried they will be overwhelmed by the numbers and many will be denied admission.

The reality is that the Free SHS university admissions space for the 2020/2021 academic year is far below the huge numbers that will complete SHS in 2020.

HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE IN OXFORD UNIVERSITY: Oxford Abused Blind Ghanaian Mphil Student needs justice

The first group of Free Senior High School graduates, will find it difficult to secure admission to public universities in 2020.

The University of Ghana will not be an exception.

According to Dr. Samson Obed Appiah, professor of sociology at the University of Ghana the needed infrastructure to accommodate the huge numbers in not available.

He says that universities in Ghana do not have the ability to admit the over 420,000 desired graduates.

The immense infrastructure deficit at the University of Ghana for instance makes it difficult to accommodate more students in the university, Dr Appiah said.

Government’s casual attitude towards helping universities in building more residences and lecture halls for students is a major set back.

In a public policy debate, the professor also blamed the leadership of the University of Ghana for preferring to favour students in their first year of residency on campus over students in second and third year.

To combat the  Administration proposition, he called on the Students Representative Council and Executive Junior Common Room to stand up.

Dr. Obed Appiah isn’t the first to call government attention to the need to improve public university facilities.

The same view was given in 2018 by Professor Peter Quartey, former head of Economics Department at the University of Ghana.

He said that universities are not currently able to let admin into public universities those who qualify. From all indications Free SHS university admissions in 2020 will pose a huge challenge as the country has not put in place all the needed measures to cope with the numbers.

Are we getting ready for a sophisticated double track at the Universities?