Akatsi College of Education at 50
Akatsi College of Education (Akatsico) in the Volta Region was established on October 1, 1963 with 42 all male students and a teaching staff of four, including the principal.
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The institute now has more than 700 students. Some of the problems confronting the school are, inadequate accommodation for students and teachers, deplorable access roads and inadequate water facilities.
Despite these challenges, the past students have worked hard and performed creditably in their final examinations and this was re-emphasised at the launch of the school’s 50th anniversary celebrations at Akatsi, on the theme:“Quality teacher education in a changing society”.
Addressing the ceremony, a senior lecturer at the University of Education, Winneba, Prof. Kwakuvi Azasu, challenged students of the college to work hard to uphold the good reputation of their institution.
“I am happy to announce that the products of Akatsi College of Education are respected tutors all over Ghana, all over West Africa, especially in Nigeria, Benin and Togo”, he said.
Prof. Azasu further used the occasion to appeal for the improvement of infrastructure on colleges of education to accommodate many students as the institutions have been upgraded into tertiary status.
Historical perspective
Giving the historical perspective of the college, the Principal, Mr G.J.K. Dzimale, said during the 1980’s educational reforms, the government appointed the University Rationalisation Committee (URC) in 1986 to provide basic information and recommendation to enable a medium term university sector development plan to be formulated.
Among other things, he said the committee recommended the establishment of a unified comprehensive college system that was to group all pre-service tertiary institutions into regional colleges of arts, science and technology.
The Volta Regional Deputy Director of education, Mr Emmanuel Kofi Adanu, expressed concern about the apparent retrogression of academic work, particularly in the basic school and called on the stakeholders to come together to find solution to the problem.
In another development, the sixth graduation ceremony had been held for 153 graduates who pursued a three-year diploma in basic education course at the Dambai College of Education in the Krachi East District, writes Emmanuel Modey.
The graduates were made up of 91 males and 62 females.
Presenting his report, the Principal of the college, Mr Musah Yamba Issahaku, was grateful to the government for upgrading the college and providing it with the necessary infrastructure to promote sound teaching and learning.
The Principal announced that for the 2011/12 academic year, 16 students graduated with a Second Class Upper certificate, 76 Second Class Lower, 46 Third Class and 15 Passes which showed an improvement over the results of the two previous years.
Humble beginning
“From a humble beginning on October 4, 1974, the college has grown in terms of enrolment, staff and infrastructure. We can now boast of some modern structures. We now run the Diploma in Basic Education programme and the Post-Diploma Degree Distance programme’ he said.
He, however, said the college lacked an administration block, masters bungalows, an assembly hall and potable water and, therefore, pleaded with the government to come to their aid for the completion of projects that were almost 80 per cent complete.
The Krachi East District Chief Executive, Mr Raphael Ogyemoko, commended the graduates and asked them to reciprocate the efforts of the government in order to improve the standard of education and agree to work wherever they were posted.
Story: Timothy Gobah / Daily Graphic / Ghana