The ongoing strike by the Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA) has raised concerns over the conduct and administrative validity of examinations at public universities.
National President of GAUA, Rev. Kwaku Karikari Amoah, said the industrial action involves administrators whose responsibilities are central to the coordination of examinations, management of student records and oversight of academic affairs.
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Monday, August 17, he questioned how universities could guarantee the credibility of examinations being conducted without the participation of key administrators.
“If examinations go on and the head of or the director of student affairs and academics, the head of departments for examination, if these two people are not coordinating the examination, then the credibility of the exams is suspect,” he said.
Rev. Amoah further raised questions about the validation of certificates and academic transcripts generated from examinations conducted during the strike.
He argued that officials responsible for authenticating such records would have to account for examination processes in which they were not involved.
The GAUA president also warned universities that had chosen to proceed with examinations despite the strike that they could face administrative and auditing challenges.
“Those who have taken it upon themselves to go ahead and conduct exams, they are doing it at their own risk,” he cautioned.
He questioned the authority behind arrangements being made to facilitate examinations during the industrial action, including the movement of furniture and other logistical resources between examination centres.
The strike has already affected academic activities at some public universities, with examinations reportedly postponed or disrupted.
Rev. Amoah acknowledged the difficulties students were facing but maintained that the disruption was a consequence of the unresolved dispute and called for examinations to be suspended until the matter was settled.
“Today, if GAUA too is on strike and it’s affecting examinations, let’s hold on with examinations,” he said.
He said GAUA members understood the frustration of students because many of them also have children and relatives enrolled in universities.
“We are not happy that we stay at home and people suffer. We want to go back to the classrooms. We want to go back to our office,” he said.
Rev. Amoah subsequently appealed to student leadership, including Student Representative Councils and other student groups, to support efforts to secure a resolution by engaging government over the association’s demands.
Beyond examinations, the GAUA president said the strike had the potential to affect other university services because its membership includes professionals working in legal, health, engineering, finance, audit, procurement and human resources departments.
He expressed hope that essential health services at university hospitals and clinics would not be severely affected, but stressed the need for an urgent resolution to the dispute.
Rev. Amoah said the association remained hopeful that ongoing engagements with the Education Minister would produce an agreement that would allow administrators to return to their duties and enable universities to resume normal academic and administrative operations.
