Guaranty Trust Bank (GT Bank) Ghana Limited pumps GHc 200,000 into GES Super Zonal Soccer Championship

Guaranty Trust Bank (GT Bank) Ghana Limited has reached an agreement with the Ghana Education Services (GES), Greater Accra Regional Directorate to sponsor the Super Zonal Soccer competition amongst Senior High Schools (SHS) in Greater Accra region. 

The sponsorship deal will last for the next five years.

This sponsorship package will see GT Bank fund the total cost involved in organizing the two-day soccer competition consisting of eight teams that comprise four female and four male teams across the four zones in this year’s competition is about GHc200,000. 

The amount covers the development of a logo for the zonal competition and all the associated publicity, two trophies, eight footballs, a set of jerseys (total of 144 units) for each participating team.

The tournament is scheduled to take place at the Accra Sports Stadium on 25th and 26th May, 2015 and will feature eight teams made of second cycle students from schools across the four zones in the Greater Accra Regional Directorate. 

The competition has been dubbed Director’s Cup and as part of the sponsorship agreement, the tournament will be called GT Bank Super Zonal Soccer Championship. 

Speaking at the launch, the managing director of (GT Bank) Ghana Limited, Mr. Lekan Sanusi has stated that is one of the greatest opportunities for the Bank to contribute to the development of the country. 

He said as a footie-passionate nation, they realize that one of the surest ways in keeping our youth focused in whatever they do is to help develop and sustain the enthusiasm and healthy competition in the arena of football and also once it is achieved, discipline in other areas would naturally be attained.  

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Hon. Mustapha Ahmed thanks the GT Bank for their kind gesture and also urged them to help others sports. 

The ultimate prize at stake in the GT Bank Zonal Soccer Championship is directors’ Cup for the winning team, individual awards that come with a cash prize of GHc1, 000 and a free bank account for participating players who will distinguish themselves. The individual awards are best players, top scorer, best defender, and best goalkeeper.


Source: Ghana/Asempa Sports/ Immortal Agyakwah-Acheampong

Supreme Court throws out PPP’s FCUBE case

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a writ filed by the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) which sought to compel government to enforce the free aspect of the free compulsory universal basic education(FCUBE) policy.

The PPP had argued that per Article 25(1)(a) of Ghana’s 1992 constitution “All persons shall have the right to equal educational opportunities and facilities and with a view to achieving the full realization of that right-basic education shall be free, compulsory and available to all,” hence insisting that government must implement the policy.

According to the PPP, though successive governments over the years have introduced a number of interventions including the School Feeding Programme, capitation grant, the distribution of free exercise books and the provision of free school uniforms to support this initiative, they have failed to implement fully the entire policy resulting in children of school going age to loiter about during school hours.

But the seven member panel of judges who sat on the case did not assign any reason for their decision.

They have thus set July 28, 2015 to present their reason for the dismissal of the case.

Meanwhile, The party’s founder, Paa Kwesi Nduom has described the ruling as disappointing adding that he will seek for other avenues to have the issue addressed.

He had indicated that government’s failure to implement some sections of the policy contributed to Ghana being at the bottom in a recent global school rankings.

The Organisation Economic Cooperation Development(OECD) in a report released on Wednesday said “If Ghana, the lowest ranked country, achieved basic skills for all its 15-year-olds, it would expand its current GDP by 38 times, over the lifetime of today’s youngsters.”

In a post on Facebook, he explained that the party therefore needs to compel government to implement the policy because of the OECD’s link between education and economic growth.


– By: Fred Djabanor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Lack of understanding of Mathematics cause of ‘dumsor’ - Prof. Anku

The head of the Ghana Mathematics society, Professor Sitsofe Anku has attributed Ghana's failure to solve the persistent energy crisis to a lack of understanding of the subject of Mathematics.

Prof Anku, speaking on Adom FM on Thursday, said that Ghana would have easily solved the four-year-old power crisis if it had comprehensive understanding of the subject and can readily apply it in our everyday lives.

“Mathematics can solve the Dumsor problem…principles and methods of mathematics ensure the efficiency of everything we do and that everything we do contains Mathematics…yes seriously [if our mathematics is good, we can solve Dumsor problem]…,” he said.

The Professor who led the revolution in Singapore’s educational system was reacting to an OECD report which places Ghana at the bottom of the pecking order in the study of Mathematics.

Prof. Anku said this should be attributed to the lackadaisical attitude of teachers and students towards the study of the core subject in schools adding that teachers have failed to let students see the relationship between the subject and everyday life.

“There are some of them [teachers], maybe the majority, they don’t understand Mathematics in the first place…some of them even didn’t pass the Mathematics well, they fear the subject and introduce the same fear to their students…there is always the fear of learning mathematics…there is a mental block when it come to mathematics…,” he said.

Maths students, he said, must always be taken out of the classroom to learn how related the theories they learn in the classrooms are to happenings in everyday life and urged teachers to do less of the theory and do more practicals.

As part of the solution to the age-old problem, he said, the Maths Society has been holding workshops to train teachers on how to teach the subject for fun and not for strict examination purposes.

“We are too much examination focus, so students don’t enjoy the subjects they do…we should wait more and let students enjoy the subject…,” he said.

Prof Anku reiterated the need to do away with the fear the subject presents as it is the basis for solving most human problems including the energy crisis.


Source: adomonline.com

eSyllabus For Africa supports Street Children Empowerment Foundation (SCEF)

Accra, May 7, GNA - eSyllabus For Africa, a non - governmental organisation, has presented a cheque for GH₵ 2,800.00 to Street Children Empowerment Foundation (SCEF) to cater for boarding fees of Master Emmanuel Coach, a street child.

Master Coach, 15 years, dropped out of school when he was 10 years after the death of his father in 2010 and had since been selling coconut at La Poly Clinic in Accra until SCEF officials found him in 2013 and processed him to enroll in formal education.

Mr Paul Semeh, Executive Director and Founder of SCEF, said Master Coach was brought to Accra by his grandmother who resides at the Arts Centre with the promise to send him to school in Accra but failed to do so.

“He was since left on his own and he turned the Ministries into his home after selling coconut at La Poly Clinic until I met him on that faithful day. When asked him why he was not in school, he narrated his story and expressed his willingness to go back to school.

“We quickly processed him and put him on our website for sponsorship and we were all glad when eSyllabus For Africa came in and offer to take up his education that same year,” he added.

Mr Semeh said the NGO is currently working on a reintegration plan for Master Coach to enable him join his families to have a normal life.

He said Coach is currently enrolled in a boarding school at Action Progressive Institute because no family member has come forth to accept him in their homes and his mother is jobless and could not guarantee her support for the boy.

He urged the families to gather courage to accept the boy into their homes to give him a sense of belonging and also assist him to become useful member of the family.

“We in SCEF will continue to cater for him until he complete school and any family member that will take up Coach will benefit from SCEF support project to empower them financially through their small skills enterprises.”

He thanked management of eSyllabus For Africa for the continuous support.

Mr Quarme Zowonu, Country Director, eSyllabus For Africa, who presented the cheque on behalf of his Organization, stressed the need to revamp the extended family system in Ghana to ensure quality upbringing of children.

He said: “as a country, if we can reintroduce the extended family system, it will help in addressing streetism, school dropouts, and child trafficking.”

He therefore urged parents to be more responsible towards their children’s needs, especially their education to avoid raising more children on the streets.

Mr Zowonu pledged their commitment to continue to work with SCEF and other stakeholders to bring hope and future to Ghanaian children.


Source: Ghana News Agency

Prempeh Old students refurbish assembly hall

Kumasi, 4 May, GNA - Old students of the Prempeh College (1989/91 Year Group) have refurbished the assembly hall of their alma-mater at a total cost of GH¢150,000.00.

The Osae Hall, which was in bad shape due to years of neglect, has been given a complete new outlook.

The handing over ceremony was timed to coincide with the official launch of the school’s 66th Anniversary speech and prize-giving day in Kumasi, at the weekend.

Mr Yaw Atuahene Nyarko, the Chairman of the Project Committee, said they were confident that the gesture would inspire others to also contribute their quota towards helping to improve the academic environment of the school.

He expressed discomfort with the situation where the school’s main entrance is literally blocked, following the reconstruction of the Kejetia-Abuakwa road into asphaltic concrete dual-carriageway.

Visitors and staff using cars cannot drive through the gate, he said, adding that, this must be corrected by the contractors to end the inconvenience.

Mr Charles Asare, the Managing Director of Ghana Airport Company Limited, also an alumnus of the College, praised the year group for the initiative and said it was refreshing that they had accepted to give back to the school the tremendous benefit gained from it.

Mr Franklin Asamoah, the Board Chairman, spoke of the need for all to work together to enforce discipline in the school to arrest the decline in academic performance.

He said everything should be done to restore the high academic standard, which has been its hallmark over the decades.

Mr Emmanuel Kwabena Yeboah, the Headmaster of the College, said steps have been taken to tackle the growing indiscipline among students.

Source: Ghana News Agency

UEW Council pleads for increased financial support

Kumasi, May 4, GNA - The Chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Dr Emmanuel Kenneth Andoh, has called for increased financial support to aid the expansion of infrastructure for the training of more top class professional educators.

He said inadequate funding was making it difficult to meet the demands on its services by the growing student enrollment.

Dr Andoh was addressing the 19th Congregation of the College of Technology Education of the university in Kumasi.

A total of 3,847 students received Masters and Bachelors’ degrees and Diploma certificates in Business, Technology and other programmes offered at the college.

Two hundred and thirty three students who pursued Diploma in Education programme at the Cape Coast Polytechnic, under a collaborative programme between the university and the polytechnic, also graduated.

Dr Andoh said the College of Technology Education had been transformed into a premier institution for training of professionals in technology education and related fields in the West African sub-region.

The increasing number of graduates’ year-after-year was indicative of its commitment to excellence and continued growth, he said.

He, however, pointed out that the rise in student admission and technical programmes would have to be matched with appropriate financial and material support.

Dr Andoh advised the graduating students to be humble, honest and exhibit high sense of integrity which, he said, were essential in the teaching profession.

Professor Akwasi Asabere-Ameyaw, the Vice Chancellor, advised the students to be hard working and to develop right attitudes at the workplace.

He said the university would continue to explore opportunities through innovative ways to equip its students with the right skills to tackle the challenges facing the society.


Source: Ghana News Agency

Africa needs intellectual independence - Professor Olufemi Bamiro

Cape Coast, April 30, GNA - Professor Olufemi Bamiro, Pro-chancellor and Chairman of Council at Tai Solarian University of Education, Nigeria, says Africa need to be intellectually independent to be able to address its numerous challenges.

He said it is time African universities become proactive, well-researched and community services oriented while maintaining core African values to gain a more respectable position in the academic world.

Prof Bamiro said though education had its roots in Africa, Africans are always relying on the Western world to find solutions and answers to problems which are purely African.

“Almost all the big universities in the world now, the people behind them are all Africans or are of African origin, so why must we always run to the West to have our issues solved while our problems are African? It is time we become intellectually independent to be able to find African solutions to the African problems,” he said.

Prof Bamiro was speaking at the opening ceremony of the first interdisciplinary conference organized by the Institute for Educational Planning and Administration in collaboration with Ghana Association of Educational Planners and Administrators and Tai Solarian University of Education, Nigeria, at the University of Cape Coast (UCC).

The four-day conference which is on the theme: “Education as a tool for global development,” is aimed at having an in-depth discussion and of exchange ideas as the participants seek answers from the research perspective.

Prof Bamiro said there is the need to ensure that lecturers are adequately resourced with research logistics and scientific materials since staff quality is a major driver of the change.

He said the polytechnics and the technical universities must be strengthened to produce competent human resource to ensure the sustainability of African industries, adding that sustainable development of industries is a key indicator to modern development.

He said the brain-drain from Africa is major setbacks to development as majority of African graduates who are expected to use the knowledge acquire to help their countries, travel outside for greener pastures.

The Vice Chancellor of UCC, Prof Domwini Kuupole said the conference is as a result of the memorandum of understanding between UCC and the Tai Solarian University of Education in Nigeria to engage in activities that is mutually beneficial.

He said it is a clear demonstration of regional cooperation and expressed the hope that the scholarly discourse would inform the decisions of educational administrators in the sub region.


Source: Ghana News Agency

Colleges partner KNUST to raise academic standards

The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two institutions in Kumasi, to spearhead the nation’s development in the area of technology transfer.

Professor William Otoo Ellis, the Vice-Chancellor, said the MoU would evolve appropriate technologies and programmes that meet the demands of industries, corporate institutions, small and medium scale enterprises, as well as the manufacturing sector for sustainable economic growth.

Technology, he said, defines development of any society as it is the basis to alleviate poverty, create wealth and also bring about change to improve the living conditions of the people.

The two institutions are Princefield College in the Volta Region, and Fountainhead Christian College in the Greater Accra Region.

They are seeking affiliation to award degrees in the areas of Accounting, Banking and Finance, Marketing, Communications Technology and Applied Theology and Leadership.

This brings to more than 30, institutions which had so far signed agreements to be affiliated with the KNUST.

Prof Ellis urged the two institutions to strive to attend meetings of the KNUST’s Liaison Committee, which serves as a platform to mentor and nurture affiliate universities.

He reminded them to maintain high academic standards, saying the University would not countenance mediocrity in the admission, academic programmes and examination processes of the two institutions.

Prof Ellis signed for the KNUST, while Dr Alex Nazzar initialled for Princefield College with the Reverend Faithful Biney signing for Fountainhead Christian College.


Source: Ghana News Agency

Court dismisses case against University of Ghana

The Human Rights Court has dismissed the case against the University of Ghana over the closure of some of the access routes to the school.

Some parents of pupils at the University of Ghana Primary School sued the University over the decision to close all access routes into the school.

According to ruling given by Justice Essel Mensah, the suit was not properly brought before the court by the applicants for it to be adjudicated upon it merits hence his decision.

The University of Ghana last year closed all access routes into its campus to the public with the exception of the entrance from the Okponglo intersection, a decision which did not go down well with parents, who subsequently sought a perpetual injunction against the university from continuing with the ongoing restrictions.


Background

The University of Ghana closed all access routes into its campus to the public with the exception of the entrance from the Okponglo intersection.

The closure was announced after the school was forced to suspend its tolling system which generated public outcry leading to the destruction of one of its toll booth by national security operatives.

Subsequently, only vehicles with the 2014 UG sticker were allowed to enter and exit the school through all the access routes.

Some 130 parents whose wards attend the basic school sued the University over the matter.

The parents sought a perpetual injunction against the university from continuing with the ongoing restrictions.


– By: Fred Djabanor/citimonline.com/Ghana

Tertiary education should not be elitist - Professor Josephus Anamuah-Mensah

Cape Coast, April 30, GNA - Professor Josephus Anamuah-Mensah, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba, says the efforts to raise Ghana unto a higher middle income status would be unrealistic if access to tertiary education remains elitist.

He said currently access to tertiary education as measured by the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) is 12 per cent which means that a large number of talents lie dormant and uncultivated to contribute to the country’s prosperity.

He said there is the need to increase the existing percentage to about 30 per cent to be able to move the nation beyond the lower middle-income status.

“There is a higher education demand surge but many Ghanaians are deprived of tertiary education, only 12 per cent of post-secondary school graduates get access to the university. We are struggling to move beyond the lower middle-income but the figure is too low for a higher middle-income status,” he said.

Prof Anamuah-Mensah said this when he delivered the keynote address at the maiden annual Easter forum organised by the College of Distance Education (CoDE) of the University of Cape Coast (UCC).

The forum, which was on the theme: “Distance education: Our hope for a sustained human capacity development in Ghana,” was aimed at addressing the issues concerning distance education.

He said the role of higher education especially for African countries cannot be taken lightly and urged Ghanaians not to view tertiary education as something for the elites alone.

Distance education is the best alternative to addressing the problem of limited access to tertiary education as it offers the working populace the opportunity to improve upon their knowledge in the work place, Prof Anamuah-Mensah said.

He said with 49.3 per cent of the total number of teachers at the basic school level being untrained, distance education would obviously be the recommended option for them if they want to go to school while they remain in the classrooms.

The former Vice-Chancellor urged the organisers of distance education programmes to put in place employable skills courses that are work-based and expand its scope to introduce technical and vocational programmes.

Professor D. D Kuupole, Vice Chancellor of UCC, said distance education since its inception in 1994, has become embedded in the country’s educational sector and called on all to embrace it.

He said distance education makes higher education flexible and offer a larger number of people the opportunity to enrol in any programme.

He said the discussions, sharing of ideas and innovations that may come up during the forum would go a long way to make advancement in the distance learning programs.

Heads of training colleges, education administrators, teachers, university dons and the Director of CoDE, Prof, George Oduro were present at the one-day forum.



Source: Ghana News Agency

Coalition of Tertiary Students protest payment of utility bills

The Coalition of Tertiary Students, Ghana, say they will resist any attempt by government to make tertiary students resident on campus bear the cost of utilities.

According to them, they will not sit and watch government pass on its social compact expectations on its students.

Deputy Minister of Education in charge of Tertiary, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa early this month announced at a meeting of Campus Connect in Kumasi that, as part of measures to reduce the pressure on government coffers, tertiary students resident on campus would be charged for using utility services.

However, at a press conference organised Tuesday, the president of the Coalition of Tertiary Students, Ghana, Mr Duke Aaron Sasu said, “We students and student leaders oppose vehemently this ill thought through Government policy. We would resist any attempt by government to force the hands of students to bear the arrears of utility bills owed by the universities as a consequence of the failure of government of Ghana to exercise its responsibilities.”

They have therefore warned of mass nationwide student rallies to press home their demand.

The coalition has also asked all tertiary students across the country to embark on a ‘red alert crusade’ to register their displeasure, adding, “Every student of Ghana must identify with something red to register our displeasure until the Government calls off this sickening policy.”

The coalition is made up of the Wa and Nyankpala campuses of the University of Development Studies (UDS), the University of Mines and Technology, (UMaT), Kumasi and Takoradi Polytechnics, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) Kumasi Campus.


Source: Written by Graphic.com.gh 

IT specialist arrested over nurses training school admission scam

An Information Technology (IT) expert who is suspected to be behind a syndicate that hacks into the online nurses training school admission system of the Ministry of Health has been arrested by the police.

The suspect, Isaac Kwesi Otibu, 27, an official of the IT Department of the Accra Regional Hospital School of Anaesthesia at Ridge, is said to have generated his own online forms and receipts in the name of the ministry which he sold and issued to potential students.

An accomplice, whose name is being withheld for security reasons, has also been arrested.

The accomplice is said to have mounted an illegal sales point for the sale of the forms, although they were to be bought at the health training schools.

The health training schools include nurses training schools, health assistant training schools, school of hygiene, psychiatric nurses training schools, school of dental technology, public health, community nursing, peri-operative and school of anaesthesia.

The syndicate, which has been detected nationwide in all health training schools, is said to have cost the Ministry of Health about GH¢3 million, representing 50 per cent of its internally generated funds from the sale of the nurses training school admission forms.

Prospective students pay GH¢80 for online forms, after which they are issued with receipts with special codes which are used to fill the admission forms online.

An additional GH¢20 is paid for an envelope and postage of the admission letter.


Sales person detects fake code

The Accra Regional Police Crime Officer, Chief Superintendent of Police Mr Paul Natongma, told the Daily Graphic that the suspects were being processed for court on a provisional charge of forging documents.

Otibu, he said, was arrested after a sales person of the School of Anaesthesia was approached by a potential student with a receipt purported to have been issued by the school.

The sales person was said to have found out that the code on the receipt was fake, even though it had similar features like the authentic receipt.


More victims

Confirming the case, the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Health, Mr Tony Goodman, said the suspects had been syphoning revenue due the ministry and defrauding applicants for some time now.

“We suspect many people have fallen victim. In such cases, when people buy the forms from these fraudsters, they are not selected in the admission process because it is detected that the codes are fake,” he said.

According to him, the fake forms were sold in vans, illegal sales points and Internet cafes across the country.

Mr Goodman said until 2013, the ministry used the manual process by which applicants had to buy brochures at post offices which they filled and submitted through courier services, after indicating the schools of their choice.

“However, two years ago, we discovered that people were printing the manual brochures and selling them to unsuspecting applicants,” he said, adding that “the ministry then decided to invest in a system that would put a stop to the situation, leading to the acquisition of a server for the generation of software for the issuing of the receipt and online services”.


Source: Written by Emelia Ennin Abbey, Graphic.com.gh

We’ll resist attempts to push utility bills on students -Takoradi Polytechnic SRC

The Student Representative Council of the Takoradi Polytechnic in the Western Region has said that it will resist any attempt by government to transpose utility payment to students.

According to the student body, it is unfair for government to renege its core functions to students when they are not financially strong to bear the cost.

They say they are surprised by government’s move when it had assured them last semester of not paying utility bills.

President of the Student Representative Council Richard Ziemah in an interview with Citi News said the financial abilities of students in campus have been weakened over the years due to the high cost of school fees and other payments.

“Besides, the Minister in charge of Tertiary Education Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa in a meeting with student’s representatives last year at National Council for Tertiary Education debunked such move and so what has changed?” Richard Ziemah queried.

He says if they are to one day wake up to the proposal been implemented by government, “all student bodies in the country will rise up and vent our grievances to the government”.

The pronouncement by government to wean itself from paying utility bills for all tertiary institutions across the country has received and continues to receive condemnation and criticisms from stakeholders.

– By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Takoradi Polytechnic owes GH¢800,000 in utility bills

The Takoradi Polytechnic in the Western Region owes the Ghana Water Company Limited and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) about GH¢ 80,000.

Information available to Citi News indicates that a sum of GH¢143, 489, is to be paid to the water company, some GH¢721, 625 to the Electricity Company of Ghana.

This debt according to the president of the Students Representative Council of the Takoradi Polytechnic Richard Ziemah is affecting the supply of water and power on campus.

“It has been on and off situation here in campus. At a time when you need water especially in the morning, they will take it off. This problem is as a result of government’s inability to pay the debts owed the utility companies. It is government’s sole responsibility to pay for it, not students.”

Government’s has proposed to transfer 7 percent of utility bills in tertiary institutions across the country to students.

This proposal has been met with stiff opposition from student bodies and other stakeholders.

– By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Mamehyeso Basic School faces imminent closure

Mamehyeso (E/R), April 28, GNA - The Mamehyeso Primary School in the Suhum Municipality will soon be close down if parents continue to withdraw their children from the school.

So far, five of the six teachers in the school have been withdrawn by the Ghana Education Service (GES) as a result of low student population.

A GES official who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on condition of anonymity said, currently only 15 out of 210 pupils are attending the school.

Parents in the village have withdrawn their children to nearby schools in Tetteh Nkwanta, Adarkwah, Kofiga, Suhum Gariba Zongo Islamic Primary School and Suhum Roman Catholic Primary School.

Some of the children who were withdrawn from the school have dropped out of school and are now truck pushers, coconut sellers, basket weavers, ‘akpeteshie’ distillers, rat and grasscutter hunters, while some of the girls have become pregnant.

The official said the school was established 50 years ago by the Ministry of Education at the request of the community, and so the GES did not understand why the community had decided to neglect the school.

When the Odikro of the village, Nene Amuyaw Ashate was contacted, he confirmed the story and said several warnings by the traditional authorities and elders of the village to parents to stop withdrawing their children from the school had not achieved the desired result.

He said currently, some of the children had to walk for a distance of six kilometers to attend school outside the community.

The Odikro said there were plans for the elders of the town to meet with parents to discuss the issue and find a solution to the challenges facing the school.


Source: Ghana News Agency

University of Education, Winneba (UEW) Launches Corporate Strategic Plan

Winneba, April 27, GNA - The University of Education, Winneba (UEW), has launched its Third Strategic Plan for the years 2014 to 2018, with a call on staff to work hard towards its success.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Akwasi Asabere-Ameyaw, speaking at the launch, said two earlier Strategic Plans, namely the 2003-2008 and the 2009-2013, were the primary management tools that had brought the University that far.

He said the first strategic plan aimed to expand the University at a very fast pace, after attaining autonomy.

He said the University adopted ICT as a tool for teaching and learning, and embarked on vigorous measures to address the serious gender imbalance among students.

Prof Asabere-Ameyaw said the University had, therefore, seen remarkable transformation and improvement in infrastructure, curriculum development, staffing, student enrollments, and expansion in graduate studies, among other achievements.

The chairman of the University's Governing Council, Dr. Emmanuel K. Andoh, said the new strategic plan was an attestation to efforts towards achieving the very purpose for which the institution of higher learning was established.

He stated: “We are still mindful of our vision as a Teacher Training University, tasked with the sole responsibility to spearhead the new national vision of education, aimed at re-directing Ghana’s efforts along the path of rapid economic and social development.”

Prof Mahama Duwiejua, Executive Secretary of the National Council for Tertiary Education, who launched the Plan, hoped that the 2014-18 Corporate Strategic Plan would serve as the blue-print to further build on the remarkable achievements the University had already accomplished.

He called for the judicious application of human and financial resources, to achieve set strategic goals.


Source: Ghana News Agency

University of Ghana acquires software to detect plagiarism

The University of Ghana has deployed software under its current e-Learning platform that detects plagiarism in all forms, from class assignments to project works and other academic work.

The software which is part of the university’s e-Learning management system called Sakai is aimed at enhancing original thought among students and promoting excellent academic work.

The Dean of Distance Learning of the University of Ghana, Legon, Prof. Yaw Oheneba Sekyi, who disclosed this to the media after the 2015 matriculation at the Kumasi Learning Centre, said all the distance learning campuses of the school had been connected through a fibre optic to the main campus at Legon in Accra.

He said the students had also been offered android-based tablets which were web-based and allowed students to access course materials electronically and submit assignments as well as interact among themselves on the same platform.
Vice Chancellor

In a speech read on his behalf, the Vice- Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Ernest Aryeetey, announced that the university recently through the government secured a $37.5 million ICT project for its distance education programme.

He said under the project, the Accra, Koforidua, Sunyani, Takoradi, Tamale, Tsito and Wa learning centres have been equipped with modern facilities with ultra-modern computer laboratories and smart classrooms.

The rest are video conference facilities, backup generating sets and outdoor Wi-Fi, while 3,000 Internet-enabled android tablets, preloaded with relevant teaching and learning materials have been distributed to students.

In all, 1,184 students were enrolled for the 2014/2015 academic year.

Prof. Aryeetey said students admitted for Distance Education this year would have all tutorials and examinations in their centres, without having to come down to Legon as had been the practice.


Source: By Donald Ato Dapatem, Graphic.com.gh

SOS Children’s Villages Ghana launches education project for public schools

SOS Children’s Villages Ghana has launched a four-year project called ‘Quality Education Now’, as part of its efforts to provide quality education to Ghanaian children. The project also forms part of its community intervention efforts to extend its quality education model to deprived communities.

In a keynote address at the launch of the project at Mataheko, near Tema, the acting Deputy Director General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mrs Elizabeth de-Souza, expressed delight in SOS Children’s Villages’ effort to complement the work of government in the area of education.

Support

She pledged her support and that of the GES to ensure that the desired support was achieved, and called on donors and individuals to visit any of the SOS Villages, so as to become a friend of these children. She personally pledged to become a friend of the children.

SOS Children’s Villages Ghana is well noted for providing quality education in Ghana over the past 40 years through its Hermann Gmeiner Schools in Tema, Asiakwa, Kumasi and Tamale.

The National Director of SOS Children’s Villages Ghana, Mr Alexander Kekula, stressed the importance of the project, saying, “The overall objective of the project is sustainable quality education delivery through empowerment at school, community and district levels”.

He, therefore, challenged stakeholders of children’s education to put in their best so that head teachers, teachers, parent-teacher associations, circuit supervisors and community members would be able to function at the maximum potential, by the end of the next four years when the project comes to an end.

Benefit of education

He said that was necessary for the children to have the full benefit of their education.

In his address, the Chief of Mataheko, Nene Martey Kpongbagbla III, highly commended SOS Children’s Villages Ghana for its continuous effort to ensure care and support for orphans and vulnerable families in society.

He stressed that the change in the world’s system called for traditional, educational, religious and other authorities to team up with relevant partner-institutions such as SOS Children’s Villages Ghana to get a holistic education for all.

Nene Kpongbagbla assured SOS Children’s Villages Ghana of his support as well as that of his people for the project.

The Project Coordinator of ‘Quality Education Now’, Mr Bernard Amoako, asked for the kind support of all the various stakeholders to ensure a successful project.

He said the project was in tandem with the organisation’s vision of “every child belongs to a family and grows with love, respect and security”.

Speaking to the media after the programme, the National Communications and Fundraising Advisor, Nii Commey, stressed that SOS Children’s Villages Ghana, has over the past 40 years been noted for the provision of quality long-term family-based care, adding that the child welfare organisation had been serving deprived communities across the country with more than five thousand beneficiary families.


Source: Daily Graphic

Regent University College of Science and Technology holds open day

The Regent University College of Science and Technology has held an open day to allow parents, guardians and prospective applicants to interact with the school administration on courses offered in the university.
The open day, put together by the final year students of the Event Management class, was also to inform the public about their services as well as offer instant admission to applicants who met the admission requirements.

The Senior Vice President of the university, Mr Albert K.Amonoo, said the school offered a combination of courses which had Information and communications Technology (ICT) integrated in all the courses to help keep students in tune with the changing trends.He said ICT was the backbone of most industries and so it was important to combine it with all other courses.

Mr Amonoo said the school also believed in maintaining smaller and conducive environment as these aided in teaching and learning.

“At Regent we believe that students should be able to interact properly with lecturers as well as study at times convenient for them. For this reason, our timetable is designed to fit the lifestyle of both working and non-working students.” He said.

Mrs Ruth Kukua Ntumy-Fletcher, the lecturer in charge of Event Management, said the exercise was also to allow final year students have a practical feel of how to organise and manage a corporate event.

“Although it is a school event, we allowed the students to coordinate, seek sponsorship and interact with the public so they have a better understanding if what they have been taught in class. We believe that through a project such this, the students would be able to organise events themselves and not necessarily rely on companies to employ them” she explained

She expressed gratitude to Blue skies, Fan Milk and Rising star Montessori for sponsoring the event.


Source: Daily Graphic

70 critical care nurses graduate from School of Peri-Operative and Critical Care Nursing in Accra

The Chief Executive Officer of the National Ambulance Service, Professor Ahmed Zakariah, has urged graduates of the school of Peri-Operative and Critical Care Nursing to exhibit a high sense of professionalism in their practice and deliver exemplary cost effective patient care that would help improve quality delivery in the country.

He advised them to be mindful of their attitude towards patients as the negative behaviour by some of them was tarnishing the image of the profession.

Addressing the 8th congregation of the School of Peri-Operative and Critical Care Nursing in Accra, Prof Zakariah said the nursing profession was one that required total dedication and tolerance.

He, however, assured management of the school of the Ministry of Health’s support to enhance academic work.

In all, 70 students graduated from the Peri-Operative Nursing and Critical Care Nursing. Out of the number, 32 graduated from Peri-Operative with the remaining 38 graduating from Critical Nursing after 15- month training.

Leading the graduates, made up of 54 women and 16 men, to swear the Oath (Nurses pledge), they were charged to be strong advocates of the profession.

The oath binds each nurse to abide by all rules and regulations, and also be of good behaviour while pursuing their careers in order to promote a positive image for the nursing field.

The overall best graduating student award went to Ms Rosemond Agyeiwaa of the Critical Care Nursing.

Collaboration

Delivering the school’s report, the Principal of the School, Mr Kwaku Asante-Krobea, stated that the school would collaborate with other foreign partners to set up a consortium for health skill training in Ghana and extend the partnership to other institutions.

He said the school would expand its present territory by having its own infrastructure adding that the Ministry of Health was on the verge of providing a two-storey building for the school which was expected to be complete by July 2016.

Mr Asante-Krobea cited inadequate staff, lack of permanent campus, inadequate accommodation for students and staff as some of the challenges facing the school.

Currently, Mr Asante-Krobea said the school had achieved a substantial credibility and an image of a post-basic institution that trained specialised nurses in peri-operative and critical nurses.

Piece of advice

Mr Asante-Krobea advised the students to be guided by the values of the school, which were excellence, dedication and tolerance.

The Registrar of the Nurses and Midwifey Council, Mr Felix Kwame Nyanteh, charged the graduates to be good ambassadors where ever they found themselves.

The out-going General Prefect, Mr David Awini, commended the authorities for their immense support towards their spiritual, educational and social upbringing.

He urged his colleagues to go out and work very hard.


- By Selorm Yaw Dovia, Graphic.com.gh