Passage of Colleges of Education Bill To Improve Education

The Minister of Education, Mrs Betty Mould Iddrisu, has said the passage of the Colleges of Education Bill would help raise the social status of teachers and improve quality of education in the country. He said the Ministry was committed to strengthening the institutional and resource bases of all 38 Colleges of Education nationwide. Mrs Iddrisu said these in a speech read on her behalf at the launch of the 50th Anniversary of the Hohoe St Teresa’s College of Education, in Accra. She said that the passage of such a Bill would enable the colleges tackle challenges associated with their transition to tertiary status. Mrs Iddrisu said that the Colleges of Education did not have adequate resources to enable them to deliver quality education. She said government was upgrading infrastructure at the colleges under the GETFund Infrastructural Projects. Mrs Iddrisu said GH¢ 400,000 in addition to GH¢ 27,000 for infrastructure research and staff development have been made available for St Teresa’s College of Education for this academic year. She called on authorities of the College to work hard and promote teaching and learning. The Chief Justice, Mrs Georgina Theodora Wood, in a speech read on his behalf, said the role of teachers was key to national development and advised the youth not to enter teaching as a last resort. She expressed worry about the fallen standards of education in the country, and suggested that recruitment into teaching must be vigorously done. Mrs Angela Kutin Tandoh, Principal of St Teresa’s college of Education, announced that preparations were far advanced for training for staff of the college. She appealed to stakeholders to assist in the construction of an ultra-modern auditorium for the College and the rehabilitation of the Vice Principal’s bungalow. The Bishop of the Ho Catholic Diocese, the Most Reverend F.A.K. Lodonu advised students to be law-abiding and study hard to achieve their ambitions. The Chairman of Interim Governing of the College, Monsignor Hillary Senoo, reiterated the call on government to provide the teachers with teaching materials and to motivate them to work harder. Mr Harry Attipoe, President of the St Teresa’s Old Students Association, called on former students of the College to contribute to the college. The St Teresa’s College of Education was established as a mission school in 1961 with 35 students but currently boast of 439 students