Government has promised to increase funding for Research and Development (R&D) to 2.5% of GDP in the long term to boost all research programs in both Private and Public Institutions in the country.
“I have also promised to increase funding for Research and Development (R&D). In the short to medium term 1% of GDP will be devoted to that, which will be raised to 2.5% of GDP in the long term. R&D funds will be made available for all research activities in both public and private educational and research institutions,” President Akufo-Addo noted on Saturday at the graduation ceremony of the All Nations University College in Koforidua.
Akufo-Addo also indicated that apart from the Free Senior High School Policy aimed at developing the human resource of the country, other reforms are focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
“As part of the educational reforms that I am undertaking, I have directed the Ministry of Education and the Ministry responsible for Science and Technology to draw up programs to strengthen the upscale of the study of Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) right from the basic level. It is the aim of government to enroll more science students in our institutions to achieve our initial target of 60% science students in our Technical Institutes, he stated.
“It is my conviction that TVET is one of the main strategic policies of government aimed at the development of Ghanaian human resources. The major objective of TVET is to prepare people for the job market so that they can be productive and be of use to themselves, their families and society at large,” he added.
He commended All Nations University for the successful launch of Ghanasat -1 satellite and assured of government support.
The president of All Nations University College, Dr. Samuel Donkor, said private institutions of higher learning are of critical economic importance to nation building therefore must not be undermined.
He called on the government to develop well defined policies and set clear boundaries to foster fair competition and sustainability that will strengthen higher education and appealed to government to grant charter to his outfit since “it is long overdue.”
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM/Kojo Ansah
