THE AFTER AD

Old picture of NAFTI students shooting. Source: (NAFTI Facebook Page)

    The National Film and Television Institute was established in 1978 by the government of Ghana as a public institution to train students in film and TV production. In affiliation to the University of Ghana, the institute offers a full-time four-year professional Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

    In 2012, the institute introduced The Broadcast Journalism and The Multimedia Departments as part of its vision to expand and introduce more courses to suit the changing times. The Broadcast Journalism program trains students in media related activities to fit into any media space they find themselves.

In the 2016/2017 academic year, the Broadcast Journalism department admitted its first batch of degree students. 10 students were enrolled with only 6 out of the initial completing the program.

In 2017/2018, 17 students were enrolled but approximately only 9 students might graduate due to various reasons.

 

2019/2020 Matriculation. Source: NAFTI Facebook Page.

For the 2018/2019 academic year, 14 students were enrolled with only 6 students currently in their final year.

Also, 2019/2020 academic year had 13 students enrolled but only10 remain.

The question is, " What exactly causes the low number of students at the end of their program?" 

According to some of these students, financial challenge was one of the factors that contributed to them stopping the program and also leaving the school.

Constance Awuah,dropout student

 

In an interview with Constance Awuah, one of the students who stopped the program, mentioned that “seeing people presenting on television was nice to me but during my journey in NAFTI I realized that it was not my direction.”

  “Because NAFTI takes a lot of time, I could not combine schooling and working in funding for myself and the school fees, so I had to stop”, she added.

 

Nathaniel Kissi, another student who dropped out also stated the same challenge, saying, he was not able to juggle the work stress and academic stress.

In the case of another student, finance was not her problem as a student worker but rather the issue of lecturers not following the school’s timetable.

 Anonymous, Dropout student

This situation is not limited to old students, Edward Gemegah, a current Level 200 Broadcast Journalism student who deferred three times stated that health and family matters are factors he is also facing alongside financial challenges but will persist in completing the program.

 The Head of the Broadcast Journalism Department, Mrs. Mary Ayim- Segbefia expressed worry about the situation stating that, students do not engage her, but rather she receives letters from the Dean of Studies’ Office informing her of students leaving the program which she said is not the right process.

However, the school’s counselor, Miss Adjoa Prah, said the situation can be limited if students practice proper time and learning management and also suggested some few measures the school can put in place in curbing the situation.

  Ms. Adjoa Prah, Counseling Psychologist working in NAFTI

According to Statista, a German company specializing in market and consumer data, stated that, in September 2018, Ghana had 545,000 tertiary students out of which about 110,00 graduates annually with only 10% of the estimated number securing jobs after National Service Scheme.  

NELISA ABA  FAWKS , NAFTI NEWS. 

(FINAL PRODUCTION)