An independent scholar who doubles as a beneficiary of the Commonwealth Scholarships, Professor Joseph Aryee, has called on the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, to hold a national roundtable discussion on financing education in the country.
According to him, this approach will create a platform where all stakeholders in the sector will converge to identify diverse approaches to fund the country’s education system, which is currently facing some challenges.
He added that the minister must listen to views from stakeholders and further strengthen strong partnerships among institutions that are already in the field of education.
“The new minister of education has his role cut out for him. He needs to listen more and ensure that there is more partnership. Also, he needs to have a national roundtable on education, specifically funding education in the country,” he noted.
He made this call to the minister when speaking on the sidelines at the Commonwealth Scholarships 65th anniversary, organised by the British Council to display and spotlight the interventions of the Commonwealth alumni in Ghana to actualise their development objectives.
The UK Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) funds the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (CSC). Commonwealth Scholarships support talented and motivated individuals to gain the knowledge and skills required to make a positive impact on the development priorities of their home country.
The event, which brought together Commonwealth Scholarship alumni, social entrepreneurs and other professionals, featured a network session and an alumni panel discussion.
Addressing the gathering at the event, the Deputy British High Commissioner, Keith McMahon, noted that it is significant for aspiring entrepreneurs to understand and leverage the right tools and resources to drive business growth.
As part of the event, some notable Commonwealth alumni – including the CEO of the Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors (CBOD), Dr. Patrick Kwaku Ofori and Executive Director for the Ghana Federation of Disability, Rita Kusi-Kyeremaa – were awarded a certificate of recognition for their contributions to development priorities in the country.
Commenting on the limited quota of scholarship opportunities given to some African countries – including Ghana, Prof. Aryee elaborated that “because we are a middle-income country, they have actually reduced their support and that is also affecting education”.
To salvage the issue highlighted, Prof. Aryee, together with a Physiotherapist lecturer at the University of Cape Coast, Dr. Beatrice E.A. Sankah (PhD), called on development partners such as the Commonwealth to dedicate a bigger quota to Ghanaian students who wants to pursue Masters or PhD programmes.
Highlighting the benefits of the Commonwealth Scholarships, Prof. Aryee reiterated that it thrives on excellence and innovation, builds students’ capacity in their respective fields of work, provides students with exceptional learning facilities and offers them an opportunity to realise their dream of becoming either a lecturer or obtaining a higher degree.
As a two-time beneficiary of the scholarship, Dr. Sankah urged interested persons to take advantage of scholarship offers, emphasising that for the Commonwealth Scholarships, the process is straight forward, transparent and centred on an individual’s competence.
“For people who are saying it is not clear cut, I am a living example of benefitting from them. Having no one – just my intelligence, competence and evidence, I demonstrated that I could do it. So, I think for people, who are interested, the chance is given to everybody. Just try it and then you see how it goes,” she urged.
About Commonwealth Scholarships
The CSC awards over 800 scholarships and fellowships for postgraduate study and professional development each year. The UK Government through the CSC has funded over 31,000 Commonwealth scholars and fellows since 1959.
Commonwealth Scholarships are offered under six development-related themes; and they include science and technology for development, promoting global prosperity, strengthening global peace, security and governance, strengthening resilience and response to crisis and access, inclusion and opportunity.
