Don’t be slaves to mobile phone, social media. Tandoh advices teacher trainees
The Principal of the St Teresa’s College of Education in Hohoe in the Volta Region, Mrs Angelina Kutin Tandoh, has advised teacher trainees to reduce the number of hours they spend on their mobile phones and social media sites.
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She was of the belief that even though mobile phones and social media websites were essential to their studies, a lot of students usually spent most of their time on them, a situation that hampered their activities on campus and affected their performance in school negatively.
Mrs Tandoh was speaking at the matriculation ceremony of the college to admit fresh students for the 2016/2017 academic year.
The occasion was also used to celebrate the Patron and Saint Day of the college.
Slaves to social media
According to Mrs Tandoh, a lot of teacher trainees had virtually become slaves to their mobile phones, as well as other social media sites.
“As teacher trainees, you must reduce the time you spend on your mobile phones and other social media sites such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Video Chart and Imo and concentrate on your studies.”
“Most of you have become slaves to your mobile phones, so you find it extremely difficult to stay for a moment without fidgeting with them. Stop this practice and concentrate on the purpose for which you left your parents and siblings at home and came here,” she emphasised.
Matriculation
A total of 573 applied to pursue the three-year Diploma in Basic Education (DBE) and regular programme, but 302 candidates were admitted to be trained as professional teachers for the period.
Out of that, 75 will pursue the Diploma in Early Childhood Education while the remaining 226 will focus on general programmes.
Mrs Tandoh reminded the students that by the matriculation, they had become fully fledged members of the college, “but you have the responsibility to abide by the rules and regulations of this great institution, as well as the ethics and code of discipline for the colleges of education.”
Shape your future
The principal stated that a lot of the students had different reasons for going to the school, both positive and negative, “but you have chosen a career path and so have a vision of your entry point into the profession.”
She also appealed to them to use their “time wisely as you go through the three-year programme and use the opportunity to achieve balanced education.”
“You must allow yourselves to be trained. We don’t want you to pass through the college but rather allow the college to pass through you so that you end up as good ambassadors of the school,” she added.