‘We need sustainable policies to address illiteracy’, Daily Graphic

The Director General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Major Albert Don-Chebe, has called for vibrant and sustainable policies to address illiteracy in the country.
According to him, the country needs policies with specific timelines, strict deadlines and precise targets aimed at enlightening the people on the unlimited opportuneness of attaining higher education.
Speaking on the theme; “Illiteracy: The challenge of our generation,” at the 5th congregation of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) on Saturday, Major Don-Chebe stated that education was important to safeguard the country’s future and stimulate development.
He said for a country to ascend the ranks of upper middle income status, it needed to achieve 95 per cent literacy rate, with at least 20 per cent of the population accessing higher education.
“For us to progress beyond lower middle income to even mid-middle income status, we have to cure the unnecessary disease of illiteracy,” he stated.
According to Major Don-Chebe, access to tertiary education is still inadequate,  despite the proliferation of tertiary institutions in the country, with only five per cent of the total population acquiring higher education.
He urged educational researchers to delve more into the relationship between education, especially higher education, and accelerated development.
Graduates 
A total of 2,642 students were awarded diploma and degree certificates in Management Studies, Accounting and Finance, Communication Studies and School of Graduate Studies.
Out of the number, there were 523 diploma graduates, 1,934 undergraduates and 185 postgraduates students.
The UPSA, which was initially known as the Institute of Professional Studies, was founded in 1965 as a private institution and  was taken over by government in 1978 by the University of Professional Studies Decree, 1978 (SMCD 200).
It is a pre-eminent public institution that provides both academic and professional business education.
The university was subsequently established as a tertiary institution by  the University of Professional Studies Act, 1999 (Act 566) with a mandate to provide tertiary and professional education in the academic disciplines of Accountancy, Management  and other related areas of study.
Academic Affairs
In his address, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Joshua Alabi, said the university intended to enhance the profile of its academic disciplines by employing information and communication technologies to enhance exchange programmes and increase the visiting lecturer portfolio from other countries around the world.
This year, he said, 4,599 students were admitted, bringing the total enrolment of the university to 10,389 students. The number comprises diploma, professional, undergraduate and postgraduate students.
He said new programmes, including MBA in Total Quality Management, Petroleum Accounting and Finance, have been introduced, while the existing ones have being reviewed.
Infrastructure development
On infrastructure development of the university, Prof. Alabi said the school had finished paying for a 6,000-seating capacity lecture theatre estimated at GH¢15million.
He added that the 1,500-seating capacity library was 70 per cent complete and would be ready for use by next year.
Furthermore, he noted that a seven-storey-building hostel, which would house about 1,500 students, was also expected to be completed by June next year.
Prof. Alabi said the university had plans to build a 2000-seating capacity auditorium for ceremonies.
He advised the graduates to be innovative, hardworking, disciplined, honest  and embrace the challenges of life.
The acting Chairman of the UPSA, Mr Emmanuel Acquaye, urged the graduates to be creative, innovative, interrogative and explore new answers and solutions to emerging challenges.