Mr. John Awuah, CEO of Ghana Association of Bankers has raised concerns about a growing trend in Ghana’s education sector. According to Awuah, the increasing number of university lecturers becoming pundits on popular radio and TV shows could pose a danger to the country’s already struggling educational standards.
The Dangers of Politicized Academia
Awuah believes that the objective of many of these lecturers is attention-seeking from the political class, rather than providing expert analysis. “Foot soldiers and party apparatchiks are no longer the ones spewing lies in the media; we have an unfortunate phenomenon of academicians queuing to become relevant to politicians,” Awuah stated.
The Need for Guidance
Mr. Awuah is calling for university councils to provide guidance on this matter, urging lecturers to be circumspect in their delivery and stick to expert opinions devoid of political undertones. “Let’s keep politics away from our classrooms to allow students and lecturers to express themselves freely,” Awuah emphasized.
A Call for Professionalism
Mr. Awuah also suggests that if lecturers want to engage in politics in the media, they should not identify themselves as academics, but rather as political commentators. “If they want to engage in politics in the media, they should NOT identify themselves as Heads/Deans of Faculty/Department or even as Lecturers – They should just refer to them as political commentators! Period!” Mr. Awuah stated.
This development highlights the need for professionalism and boundaries in Ghana’s academia, and the importance of maintaining the integrity of the education sector.