Education

Treat students with respect, dignity—Prof Owusu-Mensah

The Institute for Distance and e-Learning (IDeL) of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), will close down any of its study centres where students keep reducing due to lack of respect shown them(students) by the coordinators and administrators.

It has been observed that some of the coordinators and administrators of the study centres did not show respect and treat students anyhow.

In view of this, the Director of the Institute, Prof. Francis Owusu-Mensah, has tasked the coordinators and administrators to exhibit professionalism and relate to the students with much respect and dignity they deserve, toward ensuring quality distance education that would enhance national development.

“One of your major roles in ensuring quality education is how you relate to the students, most of whom are respectable adults playing various roles in their communities, but due to other commitments have chosen to upgrade their skills through distance education,” he said.

At the opening of a four-day annual review workshop for the study centres’ coordinators and administrators, Prof Owusu-Mensah indicated that with the new tertiary educational reform, there were lots of demands going to be placed on them (coordinators and administrators) to ensure quality distance education to be at par with the regular programmes at the tertiary level.

He pointed out that the coordinators and administrators should see themselves as part of the university and support it to maintain its lead in the provision of quality distance education in the sub-Saharan region.

 “UEW is the pioneer distance teaching University in Ghana, it has over the years provided quality distance education and what we want to inculcate in you is that, you should be capable of doing the right thing to ensure quality distance education at the various study centres, Prof. Owusu-Mensah stressed.

Asking them to own the programme as they represented the Vice Chancellor of the UEW at the various study centres, Prof Owusu-Mensah, said, “Do not wait for an official to come from the university’s headquarters before you try to live up to expectation.”

Deputy Registrar of the institute, Mr William Agyei-Bieni, touched on students’ absenteeism pointing out that any distant student who stayed away from lectures for two days risked dismissal.

He said distance education should not be seen as vacation classes where learners could do whatever they wanted, “we want to provide quality distance education and all must be cooperating”.

FROM KINGSLEY E. HOPE, KUMASI

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