[ON CYNICISM]
“There may be challenges with all public universities in Ghana which include the University of Ghana, therefore in trying to point out these challenges one will have to be able to draw a line of demarcation between constructive criticism and cynicism.
Constructive criticism is criticizing and offering alternatives whereas cynics are a group of itinerant political philosophers who subject everything that they come across to annihilating comments that seek to destroy.”
RANSFORD GYAMPO – Chair, Political Science; University of Ghana.
NBA RESPONSE.
The initial criticism captured on video has long since gone viral.
But the response from the faculty has been terribly disappointing; there is very little to learn from it; very little good instruction or direction has been offered.
What we can all learn and should learn is how not to provide dodgy and intemperate responses to criticism.
Why label the criticism as cynical? Why attribute sinister motives to the critique?
We see the products of your labors- your graduates; not all of them of course, for that is impossible- but a significant number are weak and lack critical thinking skills.
What alternatives do you want us to offer?
Can you not analyse and effect the changes yourselves so that we can all reap the benefits – oh, big professors?
BRAIN DRAIN II: George Afedzi-Hughes, oil on canvas, 24 x29.34 ins, 2019. Courtesy of the artist.
If not, why are you still there? Step down!
And certainly some itinerancy on your part to see the havoc caused by your graduates will go a long way towards improving your instruction in and understanding of political philosophy relevant to our development.
Now you have yet another cynic on your hands – with his Cerberus as a frisky palm oil eating Ghanaian mongrel ready to root out all pretentious conduct.
And we must not forget, “cynicism is the short path to virtue”.
Enjoy the painting folks – another socially relevant piece for our time from the hands of the Ghanaian master, George Afedzi-Hughes.
How can one not notice the ivory tower (for non-itinerant political philosophers) where a brain has been situated or locked in.
But there are birds pecking at it leading to an accumulation of detritus (a meme for lack of critical thinking)…much akin to the fetid rubbish piles that assail us in our cities, along our streets and in our neighborhoods.
The same birds that damaged the brain are feeding on its fragments in a no go area!
The brain drain is right here with us; it is in our midst and making us poor.
NBA,
The real issue at our tertiary institutions is the presumption on the part of academia that they know it all, are not accountable to either their students or the people in general.
After all they are Professors and to enquire what they profess is cynicism. Their knee-jerk reaction is to retreat into self-defence mode accusing their accusers of bad faith and intent.
Surely in any other field of human endeavour, some of our universities should have been closed down as no longer fit for purpose and the teachers encouraged to find other employment. Do our university professors and managers not hear the cry from employers that most of the graduates lack basic information and skills needed at the workplace?
That many of their graduates lack basic communication skills?
Then why direct their ire against stakeholders in the education sector who point out these manifestations of the serious challenges facing our universities.
Prof. Gyampo demands concrete suggestions from critics.
I’ll give him just two. 1. Stick to your mandate. Eg. KNUST should stick to its Charter and strive to become an institution of excellence in the teaching and research in science and technology. Eg. Stop offering courses in sociology and similar subjects already available at Legon.
Yes that will drastically reduce the number of students being offered courses in sociology to only the best qualified.
2. Universities should, as a minimum, review the curricula now in operation in order to address the critical issue of relevance to the present and future needs of a rapidly changing society.
Sorry but an Honours degree in Dagbani from the UEW. prepares the recipient for absolutely nothing.
There is no Teaching only Cheating.
Any wonder we have 1000s of unemployed & unemployable “graduates”?
I cannot believe that the likes of Prof. Gyampo don’t know or care about the truth about tertiary education in Ghana and its implications for the future of the nation as a whole or academia in particular.