Kibi Presby College of Education marks 60th milestone
The Kibi Presbyterian College of Education (KiPCOE) at Kyebi in the Abuakwa South municipality in the Eastern Region has celebrated its 60th milestone.
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The college, which was formerly the Presbyterian Women's Training College, was established in March 1963.
The celebration, which was on the theme: "60 Years of providing quality Presbyterian teacher education: The journey so far", was attended by a number of dignitaries and clergymen, including the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rt Rev. Professor Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante, the Chief of Kwabeng and Gyasehene of Akyem Abuakwa, Daasebre Anyimadu Kantamantu, who represented the Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin.
At the event, three projects, namely the chaplain's manse, a three-storey students’ hostel and a five-storey lecture hall, ICT laboratory, library and an office complex were officially inaugurated.
Funds were also raised to aid the construction of the college's staff bungalows.
History
Addressing the gathering, Rt Rev. Prof. Mante said the college had achieved the dream of the PCG for all its educational institutions to create space for young people to develop their God-given skills within the confines of a Christian environment.
Tracing the history of the college, the Moderator indicated that in response to the government’s accelerated development plan of education in 1951, the PCG decided to establish more teacher training colleges.
In view of that, he said the PCG tasked the late Rev. L.S.G. Agyemfra, the then General Manager of Presbyterian Schools to lead the process of establishing a Presbyterian Training College at Kyebi and that became fully operational in 1963 with an initial intake of eight students.
According to Rt Rev. Prof. Mante, the college, now a fully fledged tertiary institution, had grown and developed with the support of the Akyem Abuakwa State.
Rt Rev. Prof. Mante pointed out that since teachers were being trained in the Presbyterian discipline, they should exhibit disciplinary conduct anywhere they found themselves.
The Principal of Jackson College of Education, Kumasi who was the guest speaker, Wilhelmina Theodosia Jackson, stressed that teaching was a noble profession involving the imparting of knowledge and moulding lives of students through formal and informal means for the ultimate development of the country.
She indicated that teachers should therefore not look for their own successes but rather the success and progress of their students.
TVET
The Deputy Minister of Education in charge of Technical, Vocational, Education and Training (TVET), Gifty Twum Ampofo, asked parents and guardians to monitor their children while they used their mobile phones and on the Internet.
The Principal of the college, Rev. Dr Charles Fosu-Ayarkwah, said plans were far advanced to make the college a fully fledged university to award its own degrees and diploma certificates.
With regard to the college's challenges, Mr Fosu-Ayarkwah said it needed a school bus to undertake its daily activities and additional staff for the ever-increasing number of students.
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