UCC Distance Education bogus and Sub-Standard – Educationist alleges

Educationist and Counsellor Daniel Fenyi has alleged, the Distance Education Program run by the University of Cape Coast is ‘bogus’.

Mr Fenyi further alleged the program is sub-standard.

Distance Education (henceforth D/E) is a globally accepted legitimate system of receiving a tertiary education.

It’s traditional target groups are workers who can’t quit work for school, financially contricted persons who wish to make money while schooling and in Ghana, persons with ‘weak’ grades.

But,explaining his allegations, Mr Fenyi said the ‘quality’ of the certificate awarded from D/E in UCC is fast becoming a subject of controversy especially because of the insufficient job opportunities vrs ‘abundant graduates’ in the system where a certificate’s quality can help with job procurement.

According to him, any education-bias person broods about UCC’s D/E due to a number of ‘logical’ reasons.

First, he said the WASSCE results that are not acceptable in the regular stream gets accepted in the distance system.

” If someone, by his WASSCE result, is considered ‘unfit’ to pursue a programme like B.ED Mathematics, BA English, etc. why should such be accepted to pursue same programme by D/E. Is that to mean, with D/E, anything goes?” he quizzed.

Secondly,  he questioned the kind of programme is, for example, *Bachelor of Education (Psychology and Educational Foundation) in Social Studies.

He asked which department will a holder of such qualification function at the work place, the Education, Psychology or Social Studies department?

“Meanwhile, other graduates from the regular stream, hold B.ED Social Studies, BA Psychology, etc. Why can’t same ‘proper’ programmes be replicated in the Distance system?” he asked.

Thirdly, he said only PhD holders are to lecture in the regular stream, hence, lecturers with Master’s Degrees are ‘forced’ to enroll on various PhD programmes both locally and abroad.

“But, at the various UCC Study Centres where degree programmes are offered, teachers, many of whom have ‘just Bachelor’s degree’ are teaching. Are we serious? A ‘degree holder’ teaching a ‘degree student’.” he lamented.

“A Nigerian Professor says Ghana’s education is ‘inferior’ and we are all running after his head as if he has lied. Is it not true? Where in the world can a Bachelor’s Degree holder teach and supervise the thesis of a student pursuing a Bachelor’s degree if not UCC D/E?” he asked.

Suggestions

He called on the University of Cape Coast to  reform, restructure and rename some of their programmes in terms of admission requirement, quality of lecturers and the ‘names’ of the programmes.

“As of now, the quality of a UCC D/E Degree cannot compare to a Diploma from a Teacher Training, Nursing or Polytechnic.” He said.

Employment

Counsellor Fenyi said graduates from UCC CoDE  are suffering and employers don’t respect the certificate.

“Distance Education is NOT a substitute tertiary education.” He concluded.

Source : EducationGhana.net