The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has closed down 149 open distance learning centres across the country after finding them to be operating without the necessary authorisation and accreditation.
According to Professor Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, Director-General of GTEC, many of the affected centres were located within second-cycle institutions already grappling with the pressures of the double-track system. Others were being operated in unsuitable facilities such as churches, public works departments, and even electricity company offices.
“As we speak, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission has flagged down about 149 distance learning centres. These centres are unfit for purpose. We cannot allow this to happen,” Prof. Jinapor stated.
He made the announcement at a two-day capacity-building workshop on the implementation strategies of Ghana’s Open and Distance Learning (ODL) policy held on Tuesday, September 9, 2025.
Prof. Jinapor cautioned that the proliferation of unaccredited institutions threatens the credibility of distance education in Ghana. “Ghana has been working hard to promote tertiary education, but unfortunately, distance education seems to be replaced by distancing education. Replicating traditional classrooms in scattered locations across the country cannot be deemed distance education,” he stressed.
Adding his voice, Professor Olugbemiro Jegede, a Commonwealth consultant on the ODL policy, urged stakeholders to reach a clear national consensus on what qualifies as genuine open distance learning and how it should be implemented effectively.
GTEC has reiterated its commitment to enforcing standards and safeguarding quality in tertiary education, noting that regulation will be further tightened to prevent unaccredited operators from undermining the country’s higher education system.
