The National Accreditation Board (NAB) says hence forth any institution that wish to establish and operate tertiary level institution must apply to the Board for inspection of the proposed site for approval before operations commences.
“Such an institution should also present a financial guarantee being provided by a Bank, an Insurance Company among others, to ensure completion of enrolled students in case of institution’s financial difficulties,” Dr. Kingsley Nyarko , Executive Secretary of NAB stated in Tamale.
Dr. Kingsley who announced these at a seminar in Tamale for selected media practitioners drawn from Northern, Savannah, North East and Upper West Regions explained that the two directives are new policies being rolled out by the Board to help sanitized the system.
He said authorization would be granted for a maximum period of three years after the site inspection which may be renewed for another five years.
He said many at times “the Board is faulted for accrediting wayside universities,
Some also operate in markets and other places not serene enough for academic work”.
The Board, the Executive Secretary of NAB said, therefore decided to come out with such measures to help correct the status quo.
Dr. Kingsley said measures were also being put in place to ensure that all tertiary institutions offering certificates, diploma and degree programmes, all operated under the laws without shortchanging students and the public in general.
He said all institutions were to ensure that they employed qualified teaching staff to teach students who were enrolled by the institutions.
Dr. Kingsley appealed to employers, schools and the public to seek advice from NAB when confronted with any certificate, or enrollment in tertiary institution issues.
NAB was operationalised by a legislative Instrument, (LI) 1984 (2010) that mandates it to monitor, develop guidelines and assess as well as award accreditation for tertiary institutions, offering diploma and degree education.
NAB as established in 1993 by a PNDC Law 317, was replaced by an Act of Parliament Act 2007, Act 744, and is responsible for the accreditation of both public and private institutions as regards the contents and standards of their programmes.
The Board also advises the President on the grant of a Charter to a private tertiary institution.
Authorities of NAB therefore organized the seminar to educate relevant media practitioners and the public about issues of accreditation in tertiary institutions.
Source: Yagbon Radio/Chipo Kwaku/Savannah Region
