ITECPD-UEW trains STS Coordinators in all Colleges of Education

A two-day workshop organised by the Institute of Teaching Education and Continuing Professional Development (ITECPD) of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), has been opened at the Elmina Beach Resort in the Central Region of Ghana.

The workshop is intended to provide a forum to discuss, share experiences, guide and put in place pragmatic mechanism for Supported Teaching in Schools (STS) in the various Universities and Colleges.

A first level training of trainers’ workshop for affiliate Colleges on year 3 Bachelor of Education, STS for co-ordinators in the Colleges of Education. The College level training consists of educational actors like tutors, circuit supervisors, gender officers, assistant or deputy directors in-charge of supervision in all College partnership districts.

Speaking at the opening of the two–day workshop, Director, ITECPD, Prof. Dandy George Dampson, urged the participants to be active in the implementation process by dialoguing, critiquing and helping the facilitators to sharpen, refreshing, developing and upgrading their skills and knowledge to enable them implement STS effectively.

He tasked the participants to explore, critique and be analytical to contribute positively to achieve the goal of the workshop.

“It is undeniably clear that over the past two years that STS lies at the heart of Bachelor of Education curriculum," he stated.

The STS is viewed as a spinal cord to the successful implementation of the 4-year Bachelor of Education programme hence the need to equip students, mentors, teachers, partnership schools and coordinators with the necessary technical know-how to host the student teachers doing their STS according to Prof. Dandy.

Prof. Dandy tasked the University Leads and Principals to ensure the holistic understanding and effective use of the year 3 handbook by their institutions and commended the participants for a successful implementation of the 4-year Bachelor of Education programme.

He bemoaned the challenges faced by some Colleges of Education in transporting students to STS which he promised would be addressed. Adding that insufficient partnership schools for students to practice is another issue to be addressed.

On his part, Prof. Jonathan Fletcher, founding Dean, School of Education and Leadership, University of Ghana, and T-Tel's key advisor for teaching and learning partnership, said the participants should feel proud of being part of the workshop and charged them to work perfectly.