Introduce policy on direct graduate posting to halt dwindling enrolment — Principal

The Principal of the  College of Languages Education at Ajumako, Professor Avea Nsoh, has called on the government to come up with a policy that will allow direct posting of graduates from the college to schools.

He said unlike products from the colleges of education who were posted after graduation, products from the College of Languages Education were refused direct posting.

The situation, he noted, had led to the dwindling enrolment figures in most of the faculties at the college.

Prof. Nsoh was addressing a durbar of students of the college as part of the celebration to mark the International Mother Language Day at Ajumako in the Central Region last Tuesday.

It was on the theme: “Towards the sustainable future through multilingual education.”

Statistics

Statistics from the planning section of the college showed that last year, enrolment figures in the Faculty of Foreign Languages Education and Communication fell by as much as 21.3 per cent, while those of the Faculty of Ghanaian Languages Education fell by as much as 13.3 per cent.

Prof. Nsoh said even at the time the government was admitting and expanding colleges of education, the classrooms lacked teachers, stressing; “In the midst of these, we remain the only college of languages education in Ghana.”

He attributed the falling enrolment figures to poor understanding and appreciation of languages education and indigenous languages, as well as the lack of a consistent and clear-cut language education policy, among others.

He said the nature of the programmes and courses that the college ran did not entirely reflect the expectations of prospective students and the current trends in the job market.

The principal, therefore, underscored the urgent need to rebrand the college to include advocacy and sensitisation programmes, inculcate a rethinking attitude among students and staff and review courses and programmes.

“We must continue to involve students more and more in the decision-making process and the advocacy programme. We cannot remain ordinary,” he said.

Quality education

A retired Professor of Linguistics and Bible Translation Consultant, Rev. Prof. Gilbert Ansre, said national development goals could only be achieved through the use of the right languages.

“Quality education brings about quality development. This, however, depends on quality language policy. When we don’t put this right, we cannot achieve success,” he said.

Students from various departments treated participants to traditional drumming and dancing.