The Parliament of Ghana's Department of Public Engagement has held discussions with the Directorate of Public Affairs of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) on the proposed Student Parliament Charter.
The proposed Charter is aimed at formalising and guiding student Parliaments across tertiary institutions that are affiliated with the House.
During the engagement, the Director of Public Engagement, Superintendent (Rtd), 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.
According to her, feedback from the engagement would be consolidated into a revised draft for further review, adding that once implemented, the Charter was expected to formalise student Parliaments as platforms linked to Parliaments and to create a structured pathway for youth engagement in governance.
Superintendent (Rtd) Tenge said it would also provide students with practical exposure to legislative processes while encouraging debate on issues affecting youth development.
She said the student Parliaments would also get the rich experiences of Parliamentarians who went through the student Parliament during their tertiary education.
She praised the level of training UCC had given to its students and indicated that past students had always acquitted themselves honourably in Industry in all their endeavours.
The Acting Director of Public Affairs, UCC, Dr. Kwabena Antwi-Konadu described the initiative as a step towards strengthening civic education and youth participation in the democratic process.
He catalogued some of the activities that the University had executed to support the student Parliament, including allowing student Parliamentarians to exhibit their craft on campus-based ATL FM every Saturday.
The Acting Director said the University had earmarked a piece of land to put up an Amphitheatre for the UCC House of Parliament, however, due to a lack of resources, the project was yet to see the light of day.
He, therefore, appealed to Parliament to assist the University in putting up the Amphitheatre for the students.
The consultation brought together student leaders, some staff of both the Directorate of Public Affairs and Parliament's Department of Public Engagement.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC
