The Methodist College of Education (METCOE) has held its sixth graduation ceremony at Akyem Oda, with three speakers urging prospective male teachers to refrain from sexually abusing their female pupils.
The speakers, the Principal of the college, Very Rev. Dr Solomon Kwame Gyamerah, a lecturer at the University of Education, Winneba, Prof. Richardson Addai-Mununkum, and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Oda, Alexander Akwasi Acquah all stressed that the offence could not only dent their image and their training institution’s, but could also land them in prison.
Very Rev. Gyamerah emphasised the need for teachers to protect the children entrusted to their care, adding “never exploit the trust, authority or closeness that teaching gives you.”
He urged them to maintain firm and appropriate boundaries with all learners, stressing that they should not remain indifferent when they witnessed or heard about abuse, but should report it through the proper channels without delay.
Dialogue
Very Rev. Gyamerah admonished teachers never to incite, encourage, or join in violence, lawlessness, or mob action, no matter the grievance, but to ensure every dispute was resolved through dialogue, due process and the rule of law.
He stressed that each time a teacher betrayed a child or brought the classroom into dispute, the whole profession bore the shame, but each time a teacher stood as a protector, a counsellor and an example, the whole nation was lifted.
The principal, therefore, charged the graduands to be teachers whose conduct in and out of the classroom was beyond reproach so that parents might entrust their children to them without fear, for the noble name of the Ghanaian teacher to be honoured once again.
Accreditation for courses
He stated that the college was seeking accreditation for courses to train teachers to handle TVET programmes.
On behalf of the Governing Council, management, staff and the students, Very Rev. Gyamerah expressed gratitude to the ruling government for introducing the no-fees-stress policy.
He stressed that by absorbing part of the academic fees for first-year students in public tertiary institutions, including Colleges of Education, the government had eased a heavy burden on families and opened the door to teaching for many who might otherwise have been turned away.
The principal was grateful to the MP, Akwasi Acquah, for providing the institution with a modern entrance and the Municipal Chief Executive for Birim Central, Solomon Kusi Brako, through the municipal assembly for donating a bus and sinking a borehole to improve water supply to the METCOE community.
He, however appealed to the government, NGOs and corporate bodies to help the college find lasting solutions to the challenges of inadequate lecturers’’ bungalows, and to help provide a vehicle for the principal, an auditorium, an administration block and a clinic.
Be discipline
He enjoined the prospective teachers to be hardworking, disciplined and accept postings to any communities where their services would be needed and give their best.
Prof. Addai-Mununkum admonished the teachers to live the values they had acquired at METCOE, refuse to indulge in sexual exploitation, examination malpractices, refrain from using learners for their TikTok videos and also eschew using their learners as cheap labour on their farms.
In all, 301 teachers graduated from the institution, with 148 of them pursuing Bachelor of Education (B.Ed. in JHS Education, while 153 graduated in B.Ed. in Primary Education.
A B.Ed. JHS graduate Frank Atta Peprah, emerged as the overall best graduating student and was presented with GH¢2,000 cash, a certificate and memento as his prize.
He also emerged as the overall best B.Ed. JHS and ICT programmes.
