Akatsi College replaces old KVIP with 24-unit WC built from IGF
The Akatsi College of Education has constructed a 24-unit water closet facility for two halls of residence on its campus using its Internally Generated Funds (IGF) at a cost of GH¢400,000.
The new facility replaces an old 12-seater KVIP, which was closed by the College Council due to its dilapidated condition.
Construction of the washroom facility was undertaken by the college’s student and staff artisans from the Technical Department.
The beneficiary halls of residence are the Dorglo Anuma Hall and the Ahiable Hall. The Akatsi College of Education currently has a total of eight halls of residence.
The Principal of the college, Dr Felix Kumedzro, officially opened the new washrooms on Friday, December 19, ahead of the institution’s 16th congregation ceremony.
As part of broader infrastructure improvements, the administration block has also been renovated, while the e-learning centre has been refurbished and converted into a conference room and boardroom for meetings and workshops.
The congregation was held under the theme: Sustaining the Tertiary Status of Colleges of Education in Ghana: Challenges and the Way Forward.
A total of 469 students graduated, representing a 29.6 per cent increase over the previous year. Dr Kumedzro said the graduating class comprised 125 Upper Primary Education graduates and 344 Junior High School Education teachers.
He described the academic performance of the class as unprecedented, noting that 104 students attained first class honours, compared to 49 in 2024.
In addition, 269 students obtained Second Class Upper, 84 graduated with Second Class Lower, while 12 earned Third Class honours.
“One significant highlight of this year’s results is that no student graduated with a pass, which is a remarkable and notable achievement in the history of the college,” Dr Kumedzro said.
Touching on the Ghana Education Trust Fund, the principal said the college had benefited immensely from GETFund support through the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission.
“Through this support, we have enhanced our ICT facilities, upgraded our college library and improved the furniture situation in our lecture halls,” he said.
He added that GETFund had equipped the college with various ICT tools, including desktop and laptop computers, projectors and printers, to promote literacy and modern pedagogical skills.
The guest speaker at the congregation was the Principal of Atebubu College of Education, Dr Samuel Addae-Boateng, who identified funding constraints as one of the most pressing challenges facing colleges of education.
He said issues such as the admission quota system, residential accommodation, student feeding and the low daily feeding grants continued to affect the sustenance of the tertiary status of the colleges.
“One thing that has bedevilled the colleges’ upgrade to tertiary status is the inability of government over the years to provide seed money to upgrade infrastructure and human resources,” he told the congregation.
Dr Addae-Boateng called for a more flexible and sustainable funding framework, stressing that government support must be complemented by enhanced internally generated funds and the timely release of feeding grants that reflect current economic realities.
According to him, a reliable and diversified funding base would enable colleges of education to focus on their academic and developmental mandates without being constrained by financial limitations.
