The Parliament of Ghana has begun stakeholder consultations on a proposed Student Parliament Charter aimed at creating a structured and non-partisan framework for student engagement in governance across tertiary institutions.
The proposed charter aims to establish a unified national framework that standardises Student Parliaments and strengthens their institutional link with the national legislature.
Parliament pursued the initiative to formalise Student Parliaments and to strengthen youth participation in democratic processes while linking student deliberations more directly to national governance structures.
The initiative has also positioned student engagement as a formal pathway into governance education and national policy dialogue.
Parliament seeks to use the platform to provide practical exposure to legislative processes while encouraging structured civic participation from the over 3,000 registered student members across the country.
Inclusion
During the engagement, the Director of Public Engagement, Superintendent (Retd), Effia Tenge, said the charter sought to establish an inclusive platform where students can present, debate and refine ideas on governance, leadership and national development.
She also urged students to contribute actively to the drafting process and described the exercise as an opportunity to strengthen youth voice in governance design.
Engagement
The consultation brought together student leaders, past Student Speakers, civil society actors, educators and institutional representatives.
Participants attended from All Nations University, Central University, University of Media, Arts and Communication, University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University of Professional Studies, Accra, Pentecost University, Wisconsin International University College, Ghana, Islamic University College, Ghana and Accra Technical University.
The participants examined governance structures, membership requirements and electoral processes during the consultations.
They also discussed non-partisanship and inclusion, with specific attention to gender balance and disability representation within Student Parliaments.
Students endorsed the principle of political neutrality but called for stronger safeguards against political interference.
Participants further recommended clearer rules on leadership tenure, succession planning and electoral dispute resolution to improve transparency and accountability in student governance systems.
The department collected stakeholder feedback and planned further consultations with Members of Parliament, universities and educators before it finalised a revised draft for adoption.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh