‘Mentor newly trained teachers to perform effectively’
Professor Arkoh Fletcher, the Deputy Director of the Institute of Education, University of Cape Coast, has stressed the need to adequately mentor newly trained teachers to take up the responsibility of teaching young ones to acquire problem-solving skills.
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He indicated that preparing teachers to help mould the lives of others, particularly young children, required more than learning in the classroom, while teaching must also include the ability of the teacher to train others to acquire new things that would make them capable of making meaningful contributions to the nation’s development.
Anniversary launch
Prof. Arkoh was speaking at the launch of the 50th anniversary celebration of the Foso College of Education at Assin Foso in the Central Region.
The launch of the anniversary, which was used to unveil the anniversary logo and other souvenirs, was done by the Chairman of the College Council, Dr Richard Asiedu.
Celebration
Activities lined up for the celebration, which would climax on November 14, 2015, include debates, quizzes and educational forums.
Prof. Fletcher said teacher education must prepare teachers psychologically to confidently take up the training of the nation’s future leaders, pointing out that the transition from a student-teacher to a teacher of students was a difficult journey which required effective mentoring.
He said teachers who were mentored by experienced teachers before they took up their jobs as new teachers would ensure that they had adequate use of best practices.
Prof. Fletcher said the teachers must be versatile and knowledgeable in their subject areas, adding that the quality of teachers would determine the quality of education in the country.
He also called on the government to motivate teachers to make the teaching profession attractive to the right calibre of people and to encourage teachers to give of their best, beginning at the teacher training level.
The Principal of the College, Dr Nana Kwaku Asiedu, said the college had contributed immensely to training teachers who were contributing to improving the quality of education in the country.
Challenges
However, he indicated that the college still faced some challenges and called for more accommodation facilities for the students, as well as improved road network and a durable power plant for the school to be used during power outages.
The Central Regional Minister, Mr Aquinas Tawiah Quansah, commended President Kwame Nkrumah for the vision in establishing the college and indicated the government’s commitment to expand infrastructure in the colleges of education and also establish new ones.
Dr Ignatius Peprah, an Economic and Financial Management Consultant, who chaired the function, urged the students to accept postings to the rural communities to help offer quality education to children in those areas.