Following the closure of the Royal Nursing College in Tafo Nyhiaeso, in the Ashanti Region, by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), the future of around 600 students is uncertain.
The action was taken when the institute’s management was unable to produce the necessary paperwork to establish its accreditation.
The institute was ordered by GTEC in June 2024 to stop admitting new students and to teach out those that had previously been accepted.
A visit to the school, however, revealed that new students had been enrolled as of January of this year.
As colleagues tried to comfort them, several students were seen crying uncontrollably when GTEC announced the closure with immediate effect.
The institute typically wasn’t intended to enroll students at the 100 and 200 levels. There are currently 320 pupils at Level 200 and 272 students at Level 100.
The college, according to GTEC, not only ignored its instructions but also lacked accreditation from the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
There are 802 pupils enrolled at the institute, which offers Diploma in Registered General Nursing courses.
The remaining 210 pupils are expected to continue their education under the tutelage of the affiliated University, University of Cape Coast (UCC) now that the closure impacts the Level 100 and 200 students.
The shutdown, according to GTEC, was essential to safeguard pupils and maintain educational standards.
Additionally, it stated that students ran the danger of finishing their courses without legitimate certification because the school was not recognized by the Nursing and Midwifery Council and had not received accreditation from GTEC.
“These certificates will be fake and not recognized by any institution,” said GTEC.
Three officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ashanti Regional Police Command accompanied GTEC officials as they toured the facility.
A lack of adequate lecture rooms and proper documentation was discovered during the inspection.
When I went, the Level 100 pupils were receiving lectures in a congested auditorium with no tables or suitable chairs.
The blackout worsened their plight, forcing them to make do with their textbooks as makeshift fans.
CID officers picked up the owner’s wife and several management members after the inspection.
The owner, Ken Owusu, will be sought after for prosecution, according to authorities.
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