Infrastructure, human resource challenges limit admission to TACE

Inadequate infrastructure and human resource are inhibiting the admission of more students into the Tamale College of Education (TACE).

As a result, the college could only offer admission to 697 applicants, turning down 2,206 qualified people who applied to pursue teacher education in the institution this academic year. The new students comprise 357 males and 340 females.

The Principal of the college, Dr. Sulemana Iddrisu, disclosed this at the 13th matriculation ceremony of TACE.

He said although the college had intended to scale up its intake yearly, it had to turn away qualified applicants for the lack of adequate classrooms, accommodation and lecturers, which he said needed urgent attention to ensure quality and accessible education for all.

“We tried our best to admit as many qualified students as possible, but we were unable to do so due to constraints of space and human resource. We, thus, had to turn down about 2,206 qualified applicants. I am very optimistic that when our base improves, we will be able to take on board a lot more applicants in future,’’ Dr. Iddrisu added.

According to the principal, TACE had increased female enrolment this academic year, saying the decision fed into the college’s ultimate goal of achieving the national enrolment parity of 50 per cent.

Academic excellence

The principal asked the students to strive to achieve academic excellence by being disciplined and taking their studies seriously.

“You should be modest and decent in your dressing, particularly the ladies, for your dressing summarises your personality and the little ones who will be entrusted under your care might imitate you blindly if you do not dress well,’’ he said.

Dr. Iddrisu further urged them to adhere strictly to the COVID-19 protocols on and outside campus to protect them against the virus.

Advice

In a speech read on her behalf, the Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Prof. Rita Akosua Dickson, also advised the students to be of good behaviour at all times to ensure they did not only achieve the purpose for which they were admitted, but also to be guided in their respective fields of endeavour in future.

TACE is one of the five institutions affiliated to the KNUST in the country.