Upper East Director of Education calls for increase in the intake quotas for Colleges of Education(D/G, Saturday July 14,2012. Page 23)

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga The Upper East Regional Director of Education, Mr. Paul Apanga has appealed to the Ministry of Education to consider increasing the intake quotas of the thirty-eight Colleges of Education in the country to pave way for the training of more teachers and aggressively reduce the number of pupil-teachers in schools. “In the face of high pupil-teacher ratio, is it not possible to increase the quotas for entry into Colleges of Education in the country?’, he asked, adding that in the Upper East Region, for instance, although the only two institutions of training, the St. Johns Bosco’s and Gbewaa Colleges of Education have enough space to admit many more students, they are compelled to admit not more than 280 students. He added further that similarly, many other Colleges of Education in the country have enough space to admit more, but they do not have the mandate to do so. Mr. Apanga who made these comments at the 11th Best Teacher and Worker Awards ceremony in Bolgatanga, said generally at the primary level, the Teacher- Pupil ratio in some districts is very high. According to him, in the Garu-Tempane district, pupil teacher ratio' currently around 129 pupils to a teacher, while in the Bawku Municipality, the figure stands at 117 pupils to a teacher. The situation in the Bawku West District is 106 pupils to a teacher. He said looking at the aforementioned; it should to possible for government to reasonably increase intake into colleges of Education reduce the number of untrained teachers in the country. Mr. Apanga also appealed to the Ministry of Education to consider the option of developing a fee paying system in the Colleges of Education so that large number of qualifies high school graduates who meet the admission criteria of the colleges but are not catered for through the government quota system but are interested in the teaching profession and have the money to pay for their training should be admitted by the colleges. These persons, he said can be licensed, given registration numbers and employed by the Ghana Education Service through quotas released every year by the Ministry of Finance to the Ghana Education Service to recruit non-professional teachers of various categories to fill the empty classrooms in the system. The Regional Director of Education called on government to maintain the Untrained Teacher Diploma in Basic Education programme but ensure that only qualified pupil-teachers are admitted. Mr. Apanga commended all the Municipal and District Assemblies in the region for sponsoring 477 teachers who have completed three years Diploma programmes and about to be posted to deprived communities in the region. This gesture he explained, will go a long way reduce the number of pupil-teachers in the education system of the region. He urged the Municipal and District Assemblies to continue to sponsor teacher trainees and also institute awards schemes in their respective districts to motivate, retain and attract qualified teachers to their districts. The occasion was also used to honour the award Best Teacher's and Non-teaching Staff for 2011. In all, 31 teachers and non-teaching staff from various categories were recognised for their hard work and dedicated service. Madam Doris Atigre of Mirigu Primary School was adjudged the best primary school teacher and took home a Double-door refrigerator. For the Junior High School level, Mr. Mba Aduko of Akundua Junior High School in the Bongo District also took home a Double-door refrigerator while at the Senior High School level, Mr. Edward Awunnore of Bolgatanga Technical Institute also took Double-door refrigerator as the first prize in that category. For the non-teaching staff awards, Salimanga M. Zakaria of Bawku Senior High School had a Double-door refrigerator Mr Phillip, while Mr. Fuseini Adbulamadu of the Regional Office took home a four burner cooker. With Madam Janet Anaba of Bolgatanga Technical Institute going home with a 20 inch Color Television. The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Mark Woyongo congratulated the award winners for the good work done and hinted that as current Chairman of Conference of Regional Ministers, he will forward the request for an increase in the intake into colleges of Education to the conference for discussion at their next meeting in Takoradi from where they may possibly send a joint petition to the government for further deliberation. Mr. Woyongo noted that government is not oblivious of the fact that the provision of quality education in pre-tertiary educational institutions goes beyond what happens in the classroom and for that reason, government has introduced a number of interventions, namely the capitation grant, distance learning programme to help teachers upgrade their knowledge, professional competences and qualifications, Untrained Teacher Diploma in Basic Education programme for pupil teachers to help produce more professional teachers, provision of school uniforms and the expansion of the school feeding programme as well teacher retention allowance and free distribution of computers and exercise books to schools amongst many others. -End-