Berekum College of Education withdraws 14 students for poor academic performance
Fourteen students of the Berekum College of Education in the Brong Ahafo Region have been withdrawn permanently from the college for poor academic performance.
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The students, who are in their second year, were withdrawn following the release of the re-sit examination results for the last academic year.
Four other students were withdrawn within the year for impersonation in the end of the first semester examination while 18 third-year students have been made external candidates.
The Acting Principal of the college, Dr George Adjei Henne, announced this at the fifth congregation of the college at Berekum on Saturday.
He continued that five other students who indulged in examination malpractices had their results cancelled.
Dr Henne, who is also the Regional Director of Education, described the situation as unfortunate and urged students to be disciplined and concentrate on their studies.
He expressed concern about the increase in examination malpractices in schools across the region and admonished students to desist from such acts, since that could end their education.
He announced that all basic schools in the country were to be staffed with teachers who hold Diploma in Education certificate by 2015.
Dr Henne stated further that the agenda after 2015 would be to staff all basic schools in the country with teachers holding a degree.
He, therefore, expressed the hope that the various colleges of education in the country would be given accreditation to run degree programmes in the not too distant future.
Dr Henne also used the opportunity to appeal to teachers to constantly upgrade themselves in order to adapt to the changing times.
He urged teachers to also take advantage of the open distance learning and online courses offered by both local and foreign universities to upgrade their knowledge and skills in order to keep pace with the times.
Dr Henne congratulated the graduating students and urged them to go and be worthy ambassadors of the college by contributing to the achievement of quality education in the country and also as catalysts for improvement of living conditions of the communities in which they serve.
The Chairman of the Interim Council of the college and, former Deputy Minister of Education, Mr Kwabena Kyere, urged the graduate to aspire to take up challenging appointments and be prepared to work to excel in the teaching profession.
He also appealed to teachers to accept postings to deprived communities and the countryside where their service was needed the most.
Mr Kyere noted that one critical challenge facing the college was inadequate infrastructure, stressing that certain minimum infrastructural facilities such as lecture halls, auditorium, administration block, halls of residence must exist to enable such schools to function effectively as tertiary institutions.
He said the government was making every effort to ensure that these facilities were provided and admonished the continuing students to make effective use of the few facilities at their disposal.
Dr Nana Henne Ababio, the Director of World of Friends Children's Home at Berekum and old student of the school, who was the guest speaker, urged teachers to be agents of change in society by constantly updating their knowledge.
In all 281 students graduated and were presented with diploma certificates in Basic Education.Twenty-eight obtained second class upper, 121 second class lower, 109 third class and 28 passes.
Story: Samuel Duodu