The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has closed down 149 open distance learning centres found to be operating without the necessary approval and accreditation.
According to GTEC’s Director-General, Professor Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, many of these centres were located within senior high schools already facing challenges under the double-track system.
“As we speak, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission has flagged down about 149 distance learning centres. These centres are unfit for purpose. They are being run in churches, public works departments, and even electricity company offices. We cannot allow this to happen,” he said.
Prof. Jinapor made the remarks during a two-day training workshop on strategies for implementing Ghana’s Open and Distance Learning (ODL) policy, held on Tuesday, September 9, 2025. He warned that such practices compromise the integrity of distance education.
“Ghana has been working hard to promote tertiary education, but unfortunately, distance education seems to be replaced by distancing education,” he noted.
“Replicating traditional classrooms in scattered locations across the country cannot be deemed distance education.”
In a related comment, Professor Olugbemiro Jegede, a Commonwealth consultant on the ODL policy, stressed the need for a unified national understanding of what constitutes open distance learning and how it should be properly delivered.
GTEC has reiterated its dedication to maintaining high standards and strengthening oversight in the provision of tertiary education nationwide.
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