The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has closed down 149 open and distance learning institutions operating without the necessary accreditation or authorisation.

According to GTEC Director-General, Professor Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, many of the affected centres were hosted in second-cycle schools already burdened by the double-track system, as well as in unsuitable venues such as churches, public works departments, and 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. They are being run in churches, public works departments, and even electricity company offices. We cannot allow this to happen,” he stated.

Speaking at a two-day capacity-building workshop on Ghana’s Open and Distance Learning (ODL) policy implementation strategies on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, he warned that such practices undermine the integrity of distance education.

He said, “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.”

Also speaking at the event, Professor Olugbemiro Jegede, a Commonwealth consultant on the ODL policy, called for a clear national consensus on the definition and proper implementation of open distance learning in Ghana.

GTEC reiterated its commitment to ensuring quality and strengthening regulatory oversight in the delivery of tertiary education across the country.