Accra College of Education appeals for govt’s support

The Accra College of Education (ACCE) has made an appeal to the Ministry of Finance to give the institution a financial clearance to enable it absorb more teaching staff to improve on its human resources and infrastructure base.

According to Dr Samuel Awinkene Atintono, the Principal of the college, the institution’s current hostel facility could only accommodate 620 students on campus, although the school had a student population of 960 students.

Addressing the college’s 11th congregation in Accra, he indicated that a request had been sent to the Ministry of Finance for financial clearance to enable the college to recruit new teaching staff to support academic work.

He said the college had staff strength of 82 made up of 37 academic and 45 non-academic staff, adding that “it is our hope that the government will grant us the clearance as soon as possible to enable us recruit staff to enhance academic work on campus.”

Graduation

The congregation ceremony on the theme: “Teacher Education in Contemporary Times: What the New Teacher Must Know and Do”, awarded Diploma in Basic Education to 304 graduates, Certificate ‘A’ to 54 graduates under the two-year sandwich programme and 19 graduates receiving certificates under the Untrained Teachers Diploma in Basic Education, by distance mode.

Dr Atintono urged the graduands to strive to familiarise themselves with the various reforms that had been introduced into the educational systems and be prepared to obtain a licence for their professional practice.

He said: “You have indeed worked hard to graduate today, you are graduating at a time that there are a number of reforms in the teaching profession such as the National Teachers Standard (NTS) and the Licensure Exams, you need to be familiar with these reforms and ensure that you pass the exams to obtain your licence for professional practice.”

Commendation

Dr Atintono commended the government’s effort for the construction of a three-storey lecture hall and an office block to provide more space to reduce overcrowding in the classrooms.

He said that the college’s roads had also been tarred and lauded the Ministry of Energy for providing 100 street lights valued at GH¢ 100, 000, to the institution, to improve security on campus for the safety of students and staff.

The Former Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Professor Domwini Dabire Kuupole, urged the graduands to embrace technology to expand their knowledge, explaining that education was now about creating knowledge, finding the latest information and using it to solve societal problems.