Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, has voiced concern about how certain universities have allowed the harsh political division in the nation to seep into their hallowed campuses and transformed them into arenas for partisan fighting rather than places of knowledge. According to him, in order to maximise politics’ influence on the country’s socioeconomic development, the partisanship in such postsecondary institutions needs to be reversed. The Asantehene spoke during the University of Cape Coast (UCC)’s awarding of him an honorary doctor of laws degree last Thursday.
The Asantehene is the third traditional ruler to hold such a degree, and she is among several notable individuals. There were music and traditional performances during the well-attended occasion, which drew notable figures from the government, university, traditional authority, and the clergy. The Asantehene claimed that the lack of evidence of significant cooperation between the state and universities, which would have resulted in socioeconomic growth in other jurisdictions, was therefore not surprising and that politics on campuses were impeding the efficient operation of the institutions.
He emphasised the necessity of creating a new alliance between the state and academia that would continuously incorporate academic knowledge into the process of formulating public policy. The Asantehene said that although it was thought that education would generate the vital human resources needed to address societal issues, there appeared to be a gap between what we learnt in school and our capacity to do so. Otumfuo Osei Tutu urged academia to review the educational system and assist in addressing any shortcomings before public trust in education was further damaged. He also stated that universities were supposed to be knowledge repositories and research facilities for finding answers to societal ills.
The Asantehene outlined the history of the country’s educational institutions and the evaluations conducted by various administrations, declaring that all governments considered education to be both a fundamental human right and a prerequisite for socioeconomic growth. The majority of the educational reviews, he claimed, had been motivated more by financial constraints or austerity than by a desire to meet the declared objectives. This was concerning. According to the citation in honour of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantemen and the surrounding area saw remarkable advancements in business, education, health, and agriculture during his tenure as Asantehene.
SOURCE: https://dew360.net
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