Graduates of Colleges of Education have been advised to upgrade their pedagogical skills in order to compete favourably in the teaching profession and also fit well in the new educational reforms.

Dr Harfiz Bin-Salih, the Upper West Regional Minister, who made the call during the congregation of the Tumu College of Education (TUCE) said the government’s new educational reforms required graduates to upgrade their skills and knowledge in the various subjects.

He said the government wanted every Ghanaian child of school-going age to enroll into schools for free by re-defining free basic education to cover secondary education.

He said a minimum qualification of first degree would therefore be required in the future to teach in public schools as stipulated in new policy announced by the Ghana Education Service.

“I want to use this opportunity to urge our teachers to support this government to implement these government policies and programmes,” he said.

Out of 241 students, who successfully underwent the teacher college training and were deemed to have satisfied requirements for the award of diplomas by the Institute of Education from the University of Cape Coast, five students obtained First Class.

Fifty-eight of the students also had Second Class Upper Division while 122 received Second Class Lower Division with 44 obtaining Third Class and 12 students managing with Pass.

Mr Bertinus Adams Kaleo, the Principal of the College said the introduction of degree programmes in TUCE had compelled management to improve on their resource capacities as some tutors were pursuing Master of Philosophy programmes studies in various course areas.

He said in an effort to promote academic excellence, the school management had pledged to refund course fees of any student who scored grade ‘A’ in all five courses.

The management also introduced award package for continuing students who scored the highest Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) at all levels.

The Principal appealed to government to support the school with potable water supply system, well equipped library, lecture halls, ICT centre with internet connectivity, administration block complex, creation and tarring of internal roads as well as school bus to facilitate movement.

Mr Abass Ridwan Duada, the Member of Parliament for Sissala East Constituency, appealed to teachers to abide by their professional conduct and work hard to achieve academic excellence to inculcate discipline in students.

He said government invested in education in the Sissala East Municipal, but raised concerns about falling standards of education, blaming it on the laziness of some teachers, who failed to supervise.

He said in order to ensure effective supervision, government supplied 30 gallons of fuel to Circuit Supervisors in the area to facilitate supervision and therefore admonished teachers to be disciplined and hardworking.