90,000 cert. "A" teachers to be upgraded

Winneba (C/R) Jan. 15 GNA- About 90,000 Certificate "A" teachers through out the country are expected to be upgraded to Diploma in Basic Education within the next ten years, to make them more efficient. Professor Jophus Anamuah-Mensah, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba, announced this at the matriculation of 3,800 students to undertake the Diploma programme through distance education, at the University.

He said 9,000 of the teachers would be trained annually and that 8,629 students were already being trained for the Diploma programme, expressing hope that the number would be increased to 13,000 by next academic year.

Professor Anamuah-Mensah said the introduction of distance education was to supplement the conventional method approach, to produce more teachers, particularly for the pre-tertiary level.

He said the University was making feasibility studies to establish more study centers for the Diploma programme at vantage places, to reduce the influx applicants seeking to gain admission at the University.

Prof Anamuah-Mensah said many of the pioneer students of the distance education programme, have pursued education up to Masters' Programme in both local and foreign universities and urged the students to learn harder to enable them to accomplish their aims and objectives.