UK Government supports colleges of education with GH¢5m
Thirteen colleges of education in the country on Wednesday signed for an initial grant of GH¢1,286,752.30 to implement innovative concepts that will help improve the quality of teaching and learning in schools through various projects designed by the colleges. The grant was provided by the United Kingdom (UK) Development Agency, DFID.
Advertisement
An amount of GH¢5 million has been voted in total in support of the programme dubbed, ‘Transforming Teacher Education and Learning (T-TEL) Ghana’, which was being run by the colleges of education to bring about transformation in the way pre-service teacher education was delivered in the country.
The T-TEL programme
The T-TEL is a four-year Government of Ghana programme, designed to support the implementation of the Pre-Tertiary Teacher Professional Development and Management policy structure developed by the Ministry of Education.
The beneficiary colleges have the opportunity to apply for a second grant if they are able to manage the current one successfully.
Overview
Giving an overview of the programme, the National Programme Manager of T-TEL, Mr AKwasi Addae-Boahene, explained that the remaining colleges of education which did not gain access to the grant would be assisted by the T-TEL secretariat with the technical know-how to be able to also access it in future.
He expressed gratitude to the UK Government for supporting the colleges of education in the country to improve on their performance through innovative concepts which had been developed into project works.
He said the colleges of education under the Challenge Fund of T-TEL received grants ranging from GH¢58,201 to GH¢225,000, depending on the project that was being undertaken.
The amount received was also dependent on the number of colleges that were collaborating, he added.
Winning projects
Mr Addae-Boahene explained that most of the projects designed were tailored towards improving the practical skills of teacher trainees and in promoting the professional development of tutors in colleges of education.
For instance, he said one of the innovative projects for which a grant was given was aimed at “enhancing the practical experiences of tutors in colleges of education in teaching at the basic school level.”
Mr Addae-Boahene reminded the beneficiary schools that successful grant management meant that they had followed all the terms and conditions of the grant award.
Transition
The Deputy Minister of Education in charge of Tertiary Education, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, explained that the T-TEL programme sought to complete the movement of the colleges of education into full-fledged tertiary status and to also improve management and governance in the institutions.
He said it was targeted that 1,500 tutors would have developed their capacities, while 35,000 teacher trainees would have enhanced their ability to deliver quality teaching at the basic level of education at the end of the programme.
Management of the fund
The Education Advisor of DFID, Madam Janice Dolar, was excited that the fund was being channelled through a key institution such as the Ministry of Education.
Madam Dolar said she expected that the fund would be utilised for the purpose for which it was provided.
Writer’s Email: [email protected]