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Following the recent tension in Ukraine, scores of Ghanaian students have been displaced, with many of them uncertain about how to continue their education.
The invasion by Russia on February 24, has led to the closure of schools in Ukraine, bringing an end to teaching and learning in some Eastern European countries.
Some Ghanaian students pursuing their undergraduate, masters and doctorate degrees in the country have therefore expressed worry about their fate.
But speaking on Ghana Connect on Friday, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong revealed that, government is working assiduously to ensure the successful evacuation of displaced Ghanaian students from Ukraine.
In this regard, he disclosed also that government is working to ensure that students who have decided to stay behind in neighbouring countries like Hungary, are given the necessary courtesies by the Hungarian authorities.
‘”The Hungarian authorities have approached some of our students that they are prepared to offer them opportunities to continue their academic work in Hungary at the same fees that they were paying and then they will be supported with accommodation and other necessities that they would need to be able to start academic life in Hungary.
This is a good thing because those of them who were coming down from Hungary, are not very certain as to what is going to happen with their academic work. And they’re final year students in medicine, quite a number of them who are coming from Hungary are in the health sector. So they’re a bit concerned. Some were in their final year, some were doing their clinicals, so they’re quite worried. So opportunities of this nature, if only it will materialise, it’s something that is attractive to them”, he explained.
Mr. Ampratwum-Sarpong added that, “On the government’s side, we are now writing to the Hungarian authorities to formalise the so-called rumour or approaches that have been made to their students.
We are formalising it, and we want the Hungarian authorities to confirm and then also to inquire if that opportunity exists so that officially, we can encourage the students who instead of continuing to Ghana, to take advantage of this opportunity.”
Meanwhile, following this development, some fifteen Ghanaian students have refused to return to Ghana, although government has provided air tickets for their trip.
“The latest is that we have another batch of eighteen who’ll be arriving tomorrow on Qatar Airways. The unfortunate thing is a large number of them who were originally scheduled to have travelled this evening and arrived tomorrow have decided that they were not coming. About fifteen of them have decided that they were not taking advantage”, he disclosed.
He added that, the students communicated their decision to stay on Thursday, March 3, 2021; after government had paid for their tickets.
Explaining the basis of their refusal to return home, Mr. Ampratwum-Sarpong, disclosed that, the students have been given various offers in Hungary for them to continue their education.
He said, there are schools in Hungary, who have expressed their willingness to offer accommodation and tuition to the Ghanaian students, hence their refusal to join the evacuation flight. The Minister added that, the parents of some of these students have approved their wards’ decisions not to return to Ghana.
As a result, he explained that the Ministry cannot compel the students to return home, against their will.
Source: myJoy
