Ghana Ministry of Education visits the OU

Increasing number of students are graduating from senior high school in Ghana, resulting in a need to dramatically increase the number of quality tertiary education places available. To address the issue and help boost economic growth, the Ghanaian government are looking to implement new approaches to education and skills development.

One approach under investigation is the development and establishment of an Open University in Ghana (OUG), and a delegation from the Ghanaian Ministry of Education recently visited the OU to learn from the OU’s experience and expertise. A series of learning, research, and discovery meetings took place, to gain a deeper understanding of the OU’s approach to delivering supported distance learning at scale, whilst exploring the specific needs for Ghana.

During the visit, hosted by the Faculty of WELS, a number of workshops were held, addressing different issues and themes, including how the OU’s curriculum is developed to deliver high quality higher education, alongside exploring pedagogy, tuition and assessment models, and student support infrastructure.

Project Lead and Head of School for Education, Childhood, Youth and Sport, Dr Eric Addae-Kyeremeh said:

“The opportunity to share our expertise and world-leading pedagogy with others speaks to the heart of the OU’s mission. It enables us to help address our strategic goal of achieving Societal Impact globally, through research, enterprise and skills development that shape the future and solve complex societal challenges. We look forward to continuing to work with the Ghana Ministry of Education and OUG team in the coming months.”

Following the visit to the OU, the intention is to carry out a return workshop in Ghana later this year, in order to develop an OUG implementation plan, road map and costed proposal.

About the Project

In 2019 a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ghanaian Ministry of Education and The Open University, confirming the intent to explore collaboration in support of the development and establishment of an Open University in Ghana (OUG). In 2021, the Minister of Education for Ghana, Hon. Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, appointed a Technical Committee to spearhead the implementation of OUG.

Four members of this Technical Committee attended the OU; Prof Mohammed Salifu, Director-General of Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC); Prof Mark Adom-Asamoah, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology; Dr Eric Nkansah, Director for Tertiary Education, Ministry of Education; and Mr Nana Gyamfi Adwabour, Director CENDLOS (Centre for National Distance Learning and Open Schooling).

Main image features members of the Ghana Ministry of Education delegation, on the steps of Walton Hall, Milton Keynes.  
Pictured left to right: Dr Eric Nkansah, Dr Eric Addae-Kyeremeh (Open University), Olivier Biard (Open University), Prof Mark Adom-Asamoah, Babette Oliver (Open University), Dr Jane Cullen (Open University), Nana Gyamfi Adwabour.