Winneba (C/R) Oct. 16, GNA - President John Evans Atta Mills has said the three-year duration of Senior Secondary education was decided without any intent to sacrifice the quality of education.

The problem of textbooks, equipment and lack of teachers, he said, and their motivation, is seriously being addressed.

President Mills said this at the 15th Congregation of the University of Education, Winneba, on Friday, in an address read for him. A total of 8,245 students graduated and received their certificates, diplomas and degrees in various disciplines.

President Mills said an additional year of Senior Secondary education would have meant an extra cost to the government and parents.

The funding of education, he said, had become too heavy a burden for the government alone to bear.

"I wish to assure Ghanaians that the government will still pursue vigorous infrastructural development on all campuses of public universities, especially, at UEW."

He said the government was fully aware of the multi-campus nature of UEW and its attendant financial, infrastructural and organizational challenges.

President Mills said no effort would be spared to provide the necessary infrastructure and logistics to make UEW befit its present status.

"Our public universities have the onerous responsibility to forge close collaboration with both local, foreign and private institutions through mentorship, affiliation and networking to provide quality tertiary education, more accessible and affordable to as many of you as possible".

President Mills advised the graduates that the respect they can commend depended on their good character, reliability, frankness, sobriety, honesty humility and devotion to duty.

Professor Akwasi Asabere-Ameyaw, Vice-Chancellor of the UEW, in his report said the current total student population of the University from the Kumasi, Mampong and Winneba Campuses is 36,206.

He said this is made up of 14,623 full-time students, 1,7001 distance learning students, 4,014 sandwiched students and 568 part-time students, out of which 44 percent are females.

He said on the Winneba Campus alone, 4,187 students graduated with one receiving a PhD and 292 getting their Master's degree and 2,413, their Bachelor's Degree.

Another 338 were awarded certificates and diplomas.

For Distance Learning, 1,143 from the Southern sector graduated.

The VC said in the desire to train a large number of teachers very well, the UEW had introduced new programmes at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and 16 additional postgraduates programmes had been added to the existing 35.

The chairman of the University's Governing Council, Dr Emmanuel Kenneth Andoh, urged the teachers to be responsible citizens and good role models in their communities.