Equip people to face challenges — Prof. Buah
The Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Prof. John Buah, has stressed the urgent need for appropriate orientation that will adequately equip people to face the challenges that confront them.
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That orientation, he noted, should be geared at and designed to equip people to effectively manage their lives and maintain the cohesion of society through changing times and situations.
Prof. Buah was addressing the 50th anniversary of the Akatsi College of Education on the theme: “Fifty years of Quality Teacher Education in a Changing Society,” at Akatsi in the Volta Region last Saturday.
The occasion was used to unveil the bust of the first principal of the college, Mr S.K. Ahiable. This ceremony was performed by the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Kobbly Edward Doe Adjaho.
“This implies that we all need guidance towards understanding the art of living. Making choices depends on being well-informed and the ability to discern the implications of one’s actions,” Prof Buah said.
Quoting John Dewey, a scholar, to support his assertion, Prof Buah said that “education is the re-organisation of experience which adds to the meaning of experience and increases the ability to direct subsequent experience.”
“Education, therefore, nurtures a person to grow in the acceptable ways of society to which he/she belongs,” he said.
Prof. Buah said the arduous task of training and grooming a person for life fell on the teacher and, therefore, underscored the need for teachers to receive training and be equipped with the requisite skills for the task.
He commended the college for turning out teachers who had carved a niche for themselves not only in the field of pedagogy but also in all aspects of national life.
“Quality teacher education as we all know does not just happen. It takes a planned and sustained programme of action to train high calibre and results-oriented teachers.
Prof. Buah said the manpower needs of a country strictly dictated the denominator that underlined the direction in which the country’s educational needs should be driven.
The Principal of the college, Mr Gabriel Jepson Dzimale, stressed the need for collaborative commitments from all stakeholders aimed at developing the college.
“In the light of this, priority should be given to infrastructure and staff development to match the current needs for quality teacher preparation,” he said.
He said the government had executed some projects such as the renovation of the female dormitory and some classroom blocks, through the support of GETFund.
While unveiling the bust of the first principal of the college, Mr Adjaho called on society to honour its heroes.
He said although people had worked hard to improve their communities, their contributions had somehow been ignored due to politics and stressed the need for people to do the right things at all times.