Eleven teacher trainees receive excellence awards
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Professor D.D. Kuupole, has appealed to the Ghana Education Service (GES) to grant winners of the excellent awards for colleges of education study leave with pay to pursue the two-year post-diploma studies at the University of Cape Coast.
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That special dispensation, he said, would serve as the contribution of the GES to the award, as well as a motivation to the graduates and others who were in school.
Prof. Kuupole made the appeal in Cape Coast yesterday at the university’s Institute of Education fifth excellence awards for colleges of education in Ghana.
Awards
Ten of the students who received the awards were each given a computer, GH¢750 and a citation. The overall best student, Mr Benjamin Amo of the Accra College of Education, was presented with a laptop, a printer, GH¢1,000 cash and a citation.
The award was instituted five years ago to identify and reward graduates of the colleges of education who excelled and also conducted themselves well morally and socially.
The award winners are also given scholarship to pursue post-diploma degree programme in basic education at the University of Cape Coast.
However, Prof. Kuupole said, the dream of the graduates to pursue the course was hindered by the refusal of the GES to grant the award winners study leave with pay.
The situation, he said, had the propensity to defeat the dreams of the professional board as well as discourage students from achieving high laurels.
Charge
Prof. Kuupole told the award winners that the winning of those awards had placed a special responsibility on them to make the same kind of outstanding contributions to society as they had done in their studies.
“You must know that being bright academically is not the only ingredient for success in life. To have outstanding success in life requires that you exhibit ethical standard, be able to work in teams and solve unexpected challenges,” he stressed.
Culture of excellence
The Director, Institute of Education, University of Cape Coast, Professor Frederick Ocansey, underscored the need to build a culture of academic excellence in the colleges of education and also encourage all students to strive for it.
He said the perception that the university was too rigid and difficult to please or satisfy in students’ examination performance was erroneous.
Professor Ocansey said students who took their studies seriously, ordered their priorities right and managed their time effectively were able to achieve great success, even within the constraints of their own personal limitations.
The Director General of the GES, Mr Jacob Kor, pledged the commitment of the service to put in place policies and interventions that would ensure the right environment for quality teaching and learning in the schools at all levels.
The National Best Award Winner, Mr Benjamin Amo, on behalf of his mates said changes in the education sector over the years had been fruitful.