The management of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) says it is well-positioned to admit more students as the first batch of Free SHS students enter various tertiary institutions next year.
The introduction of the Free Senior High School policy by the government has led to an increase in enrollment in second cycle institutions across the country.
Some persons have questioned the readiness of tertiary institutions to absorb the growing number of students to be admitted into various institutions.
However, speaking after a media tour to inspect some infrastructural projects in the school, the Acting University Relations Officer, James Oberko said KNUST has expanded its infrastructure and will be in a position to admit 23, 000 more students in addition to the over 55,000 Students it currently has.
“KNUST set off to increase access to the University by expanding its infrastructure and as you’ve seen from our visit, we’ve done a lot and we’ve a lot. We are almost close to finalizing it and when all the infrastructure are set, KNUST will be in a position to admit about 23,000 more students. Thankfully, we are in talks with the government. They know what we are doing and we are dialoguing about priority projects so as and when the government meets us on the way, we are likely to do far more than 23,000 students”.
He noted that the projects are expected to be completed before the beginning of the 2020/2021 academic year.
“In fact, the plan is to complete all the projects before the admission of the first batch of free SHS students for the 2020/2021 academic year, so any moment before the admission begins, the projects are set to begin.”
“Reacting to arrangements with the Ministry of Education to make plans to employ more lecturers to correspondent with the increase in numbers, he indicated that, “once numbers go up, all allied things that need to be taken care of, would be taken care of, including security and more lecturers”.
“For now, the focus is on infrastructure because we know the number of students from the free SHS to be admitted is quite huge. The most important thing is that, for KNUST, because we had plans to increase access and therefore started infrastructural development, it means we now need not break grounds and be in a rush to put up infrastructure. We are almost close to completion”.
The projects under construction in the school include a classroom block for graduate students under the business school, School of Medical Sciences classroom blocks, Water and Sanitation Block, Classroom block for Allied Health, building for School of Veterinary Medicine among others. Aside the classrooms and lecture halls, the projects at the various faculties and departments have auditoriums, syndicate rooms, computer laboratories, seminar rooms, Library spaces and others.
Some hostel are being constructed including a Mastercard hostel facility and a nine Alumni storey building to be used as a hostel.
source:citinewsroom
