The National Vice President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana, Ebenezer Teye Amanor-Lartey, has welcomed the decision by the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, to withdraw a directive affecting post-retirement contracts for senior academic staff in public universities.
The minister had earlier instructed the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to withdraw letters issued on such contracts, following concerns raised by UTAG over how the policy was communicated.
The decision, according to the minister, is to allow for broader stakeholder engagement before a final position is adopted.
Reacting to the development on Eyewitness News on Monday, April 27, 2026, Dr. Amanor-Lartey said UTAG is satisfied with the move, stressing that retired senior academics remain critical to the growth and sustainability of higher education in Ghana.
“We can’t have a situation where such brains go to waste because they have retired. It also means that the younger ones who are brought in fresh from PhD need to be taken through the rudiments of academic writing, and it only comes by experience,” he said.
He explained that post-retirement contracts play a vital role in ensuring continuity in mentorship and academic excellence, particularly at the graduate level.
“That is why our forbearers put in the post-retirement contract so that mentorship will be there. Beyond the mentorship, they teach at the graduate level, and that is what we need. They are a store of wealth of information and experience, which are brought to bear not just in the classroom but also in interaction. We cannot just say that because such a person is 60 years old, the person should go home,” he added.
Dr. Amanor-Lartey further noted that before recent government clearance for new recruitment, retired professors had been instrumental in sustaining teaching and learning across universities.
“Beyond that, the government recently gave clearance for recruitment. Remember that until the clearance, it was these professors who were helping in the various schools,” he said.
The development signals a potential review of the policy framework governing post-retirement engagements in Ghana’s tertiary institutions, as stakeholders continue consultations with the Education Ministry.
