Atebubu College of Education holds 10th congregation

The Bono East Regional Minister, Kwasi Adu Gyan, says government’s commitment to ICT education is amply demonstrated in its relentless effort to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education in the country.

To this end, measures are being put in place to strengthen STEM education as well as promote technical and vocational training with emphasis on the use of ICT for teaching and learning.

“For now, ten (10) modern STEM schools are being built with eight fully completed, fully equipped and in operation. Government is prioritizing the building, rehabilitation and retooling of TVET centers in the country and has established TVET Services as a unit under the Ministry of Education with its own Director General. The effort is aimed at producing skilled middle work force to serve as the bedrock of Ghana’s industrialization agenda”, he said.

The minister was addressing the 10th Congregation of the Atebubu College of Education (ATECOE) at Atebubu over the weekend.

The occasion was under theme: “Enhancing IT Integration in Contemporary Teacher Education: The Role of the Colleges of Education.”

The colourful ceremony attracted people from all walks of life including the Bono Regional Minister, Justina Owusu Banahene, who is also a past student, as well as other past students, chiefs and a host of others.

Mr. Adu Gyan noted that the success of STEM and TVET education in the country is contingent on the integration of Information Technology in the education and training of teachers to acquire the requisite skills, knowledge and competencies to enhance their output.

Leadership
The minister urged the Principal, Members of Governing Board and Management of the College to be fully committed to the vision of the College by providing sound and visionary leadership to support the successful training of competent teachers for the region and the country at large.

To the graduating class, the minister reminded them that the real value of attaining their certificates lies in how they apply the knowledge acquired in real life situations to impact society positively.

“Do not forget, or take for granted, the most obvious things around us. College education is about learning how to think and exercise some degree of control over your thoughts so you can choose what to pay attention to”, said the minister.

“It is important to remember that the degree certificates you earn today and conferred by your university, signifies that you have successfully completed a course of study. The real value lies in how you apply the knowledge you have received in the world of work. How you avail yourself of the opportunities to learn, adapt, and better yourselves and therefore experience the needed change you desire in your life”, he added.

The Regional minister emphasised that Ghana’s quest of becoming an industrialised country depends on the quality of her citizens who are a product of its educational system.

“It is in this respect that the Government has initiated some key education reforms to transform teaching and learning and improve education outcomes under the Education Strategic Plan (ESP 2018-2030)”, he explained.

These reforms, according to him, are expected to contribute to the achievement of the sustainable Development Goal 4: “Quality Education’’ and lead to the improvement of learning outcomes especially at the pre-tertiary levels.

ATECOE
The Atebubu College of Education is a Teacher Education College in Atebubu (Atebubu-Amantin Municipal), Bono East Region, which was founded in October 1965. The College was the first second cycle institution, and the only Teacher Training College in the eastern corridor of the then Brong-Ahafo Region.

The College began with eighty male students but now has a student population of 1,745 comprising 890 men and 855 women.

It started with four-year Post Middle Teacher’s Certificate ‘A’ courses. Other programmes the College has gone through are 2-year Post Secondary and 3-year Post Secondary. In the 1975/76 academic year, on admitting female students, the College became co-educational. In September 2004, the first batch of students was admitted into the college to pursue a three-year course for Diploma in Basic Education.

It runs dual-mode Open Distance Learning (ODL) for untrained teachers. The College is now a tertiary institution, affiliated with the University of Cape Coast and currently running 4-year degrees in Primary Education, Early Childhood Education and JHS Education.