Six hundred and thirteen (613) students graduated at the 12th congregation of the Accra College of Education at the weekendin Accra.
The students were awarded Diplomas in Education.
Addressing the gathering virtually, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, the Minister of Education, congratulated the graduands and urged them to go out there and make a difference in their profession because teachers were very important to the nation.
He spoke about the increment in book allowances in the Colleges of Education to motivate teacher trainers and mentioned the reform of education in the nation’s growth and development such as the new kindergarten to primary six curriculum and other innovations.
That, Dr Adutwum explained, had brought to bearon the tertiary education space the need to produce the best minds of teachers who wouldteach for transformation.
Heurged them to use the college’s scarce resources prudently and, alsoexplore private-public partnership opportunities which would attract investors to construct learning facilities that support and assist both academic and social life of students.
In apresentation, the Principal of the College, DrSamuel Awinkene Atintono, expressed his profound gratitude to the Governing Council, the government, staff and management for their immense support and assistance.
“I am particularly grateful to the staff of the College for their assistance, support, loyalty and hard work in the past years since my assumption of office, which hasmade it possible for the graduands to complete their programmes successfully.I believe we are on the right path to achieving our vision of academic excellence.
“The new graduands are the last batch of the Diploma in Basic Education programme as the current students on campus are now offering the four-year Bachelor of Education programme and Accra College of Education currently offers three programmes, Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education, Primary Education and Junior High education,” Dr Atintono disclosed.
For the first batch of students in the 2018/2019 year group, he indicated that the College admitted a total of 305students, comprising 184 males and 121 females.
Out of the number, six graduands, representing two per cent obtained First Class, 79, representing 26 per cent, obtained Second Class Upper, 118, representing 39 per cent,had Second Class Lower, 58, representing 19 per cent, had Third Class and 44, representing 14 per cent, had Pass.
The Principal emphasised that it was important to mention that for the past two years, the College had received 19 financial clearances from the Ministry of Finance through the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), which hadbeen used to fill critical vacancies in academic and non-academic departments.
Dr Atintono saidhe wasgrateful to the government but appealed for more assistance since there was still huge inadequacy of staff in the various departments. He said the total number of staff in the College currently stood at 133, comprising 63 academic staff members and 70 non-academic.
BY BENEDICTA GYIMAAH
FOLLEY
