Infrastructural challenges confronting the Ghana Institute of Journalism

                       

Ghana, the then Gold Coast, being the fourth country in Africa to experience broadcasting by the effort of the Governor Sir Arnold Hudson on the 31st July, 1935 has come of age of experience. As a new media for mass communication, the country’s first leader, Osagyefo Dr. kwame Nkrumah established Ghana Institute of Journalism (G.I.J), to train practitioners who would be employed in this unwary profession. The Ghana Institute of Journalism, formerly The Ghana School of Journalism, was officially opened on Monday, 16th October, 1959, by the then Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Mr. Kofi Baako.

 Initially, a department of the Accra Technical Institute (now Accra Polytechnic), the school had as its first principal and journalism tutor, Mr. Richard McMillan, the then retired Director of British Information Services in Ghana. In 1966, the school moved to the present site which used to house the Ghana Press Club. In the 1970s, it became part of the main stream of the education in Ghana.

 The Ghana Institute of Journalism Act was enacted in 2006 (Act 717) to transform the Institute into a degree awarding institution. Subsequently, the president granted a charter to enable the Institute award its own degrees, diplomas and certificates for programmes which were accredited by the National Accreditation Board.

Ghana Institute of Journalism has contributed tremendously to the country’s political development and Africa at large but little attention has been given to the school by the government. G.I.J has produced a lot of human resources for the media industry, but infrastructural facilities have always been the problem of the school since its establishment.

In an interview with the rector of the school, Mr. David Newton, concerning the infrastructure challenges that the institute is facing, he said, “Ghana Institute of Journalism is facing infrastructure challenges because of its history”. The school started offering regular programmes without the needed infrastructures in place and because the school was placed under the Ministry of Information for a very long time, thereby contributing to the school’s inability to expand its infrastructural facilities.

According to him, there is an ongoing constructional work at the new Okponglo site for four storey building class room but because of the slow nature of funding, the work on the project is delaying. Since 2009 they have been making effort to solve the infrastructure development, where they sent a special request to GetFund to give them a quantum of money to finish the construction.

He further noted, “In two years, they should be able to finish the structure”. Due to limited funding, they are soliciting for support from various private companies. GIJ has been given an approval to extend its lecture halls before the completion of the new site. Some private companies like; Private Quarries have donated some stones to the school, the school has received confirmation of cement from Diamond Cement and GHACEM Company, Iron rod from Tema Steel Works, BS Steel Works ,some quantity cables and electric wires from Tema Metal Cable.  

’’Practice they say makes one perfect’’. One of the numerous challenges students of the country’s premium communication school, Ghana Institute Journalism face has to do with the practical aspect of what they learn in class. Students of the school cannot boast of a campus radio where they can go and have access to the radio equipment and know their use.

The rector of the school expressed his worry about the institute’s inability to have its own radio set up. He attributed this problem to the fact that the school was initially meant to train practitioners who were already in the field. He said, after the school decided to admit regular students then it begun to make effort to set up a radio station. By the benevolent effort of some non-governmental organization, the institute received some radio equipment.

Apart from having small lecture halls, poor internet connectivity among others, the institute’s populations of 1,137 students have only one printing center with only two computers and some obsolete printers. Due to the pressure and overuse of the printing equipment, the place sometimes become overcrowded with students while their machines, especially the computers constantly freeze. Many students have expressed their disappointment about this monopoly printing center, owned by an individual. 

Sarah Quaicoo, a diploma two afternoon student said,’’ I am suffering as an afternoon student because, due to lack of lecture halls, I sometimes have to go to Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) for lectures and upon reaching there, only to be told that lectures would be held on campus which is very frustrating”. 

The absence of hostels facilities in the school has made life at school so uncomfortable for some students. Because the school has no accommodation for students, those who come from far find it difficult to report on time. It’s not only stressful, but also contributes to the students sleeping while lectures are going on. Some students are sacked by lecturers due to lateness as a result of the distance and traffic jams they cover before coming to school.

Maxwell, a level 300 student, shared his experience concerning the hostel facilities, “Living with relatives sometimes does not create a conducive atmosphere for learning. For instance, a place you learn is being occupied by friends and relatives either chatting or watching television which you have to wait for the whole night”.     

Again, many students lamented about the poor internet networking condition on campus. The few computers at the school library cannot access the internet, thus students are forced to go to cafés which cause them huge sum of money. There is also no culture of learning among students as a result of inadequate facilities. Because there are no departmental libraries where students can do their research, it sometimes leads to poor academic performance.

The rector in his final words added that the institute hopes to move to its new four story-building at Okponglo, which would be completed by the end of this year. He reiterated his happiness towards this move as he hopes it will solve some of the infrastructural problems of the school. 

By: Francisca Stokes