14 Colleges of Education get new governing councils
The governing councils of 14 Colleges of Education were inaugurated at two separate ceremonies in Accra yesterday, at which the councils were tasked to adopt innovations to improve on education in the colleges.
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The Minister of Education, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, who inaugurated the councils, told them: “As a council, your main task should be to adopt the right approaches and practical interventions aimed at achieving excellence in the Colleges of Education.”
“It is among these reasons that you have been chosen by the President to strengthen the institutions to perform their functions effectively,” she added.
The minister reminded the members that the councils were important decision-making bodies and played a critical role in ensuring quality, efficiency and effectiveness in the institutions.
The colleges are the Agogo College of Education, Agogo; the St Louis College of Education and the Wesley College of Education, both in Kumasi; the Akrokerri College of Education, Akrokerri, and the Mampong Technical College of Education, Mampong Ashanti.
Others are the St Monica’s College of Education, Mampong Ashanti; the Offinso College of Education, Offinso; the Accra College of Education, Accra; the Ada College of Education, Ada-Foah, and the Mount Mary College of Education, Somanya.
The rest are the Presbyterian College of Education, Akropong; the Seventh Day Adventist College of Education, Asokore-Koforidua; the St John Bosco’s College of Education, Navrongo, and the Gbewaa College of Education, Pusiga-Bawku.
Mandate of councils
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said the mandate of each council was to ensure that structures existed, while policies were implemented to train students to acquire the necessary professional and academic knowledge.
The Colleges of Education Act, 2012, Act 847, among others, enjoins the councils to approve the educational programmes developed by the academic board, having regard to the mandate of the college.
They are also to oversee the internal organisation of the colleges, including the establishment, variation and supervision of the academic divisions, departments and faculties of the college.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang also told the councils that it was their role to institute awards, fellowships and scholarship schemes in furtherance of the aims of the colleges.
She further entreated the councils to effectively partner with the government in the attainment of their objectives.
“I also implore your support in addressing all the pertinent and occurring issues that always confront us in the sector,” she said.
On behalf of the other members of the governing councils, the Chairman of the Council of the St Monica’s College of Education, the Most Rev Peter Atuahene, thanked the government for the trust reposed in them.
He promised that members of the various councils would work to improve academic and professional standards in the various Colleges of Education.
He appealed to the government to speed up with the disbursement of students’ loans to ease the financial burden on students of the colleges.
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