The General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Mr. Thomas T. Musah, has commended Education Minister, for introducing a one-year degree top-up programme for teachers with diploma certificates.

The GNAT General Secretary told the weekly journal run by the Colleges of Education that the move by Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh will improve teaching greatly.

“We want to say a very big thank you to the Honourable Minister for Education. He has done a great job in pushing this one-year top-up programme. Upon receipt of our letter on the issue, he acted swiftly, and here we are now,” he said.

Mr. Musah further extended his heartfelt appreciation to officials at the Institute of Education-University of Cape Coast, Ghana Education Service, Prof. Kwesi Yankah - Minister of State in-charge of Tertiary Education, Mr. Robin Todd, the T-TEL Lead, Prof. Mohammed Salifu and all those who played a vital role in making the initiative a success.

Mr. Musah also admonished all diploma holding teachers to get themselves enrolled in the one-year top-up programme.

He stressed that it is important for teachers to bear in mind that by 2022, their posteriors in College will graduate with degree and will be placed on the grade of Principal Superintendent.

"It is, therefore, prudent that all those with Diploma get enrolled now," he emphasised.

The Institute of Education, University of Cape Coast on October 5, 2020, officially released the admission notice.

The admission notice indicated that the 3-Semester Bachelor of Education (Post-Diploma in Basic Education) Programmes in the sandwich mode is starting in the first semester of 2020/2021 Academic Year.

This is to give holders of Diploma in Basic Education (DBE) the opportunity to be upgraded to Bachelor's degree.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a blended mode of instruction will be adopted (thus online and face-to-face approach).

Eligible students would be required to have a smartphone or tablet or any device that would allow them to connect to the internet.

Applicants will be enrolled automatically onto their choice of programme on completion of an online form. No fee is required before the filling of application forms online. Only those who have passed the Diploma in Basic Education Examinations will be required to fill the form.

Applicants will be required to fill the online form indicating the programme of their choice and the Study Centre, in line with their elective subject areas.

Programmes to be offered are: B.ED. (Post-Diploma) in Early Childhood Education, B.ED. (Post-Diploma) in Primary Education and B.ED. (Post-Diploma) Junior High School (JHS) Education.

Selected Colleges of Education across the country will be used as study centres.