Upgrade Basic Schools To Model Status - Anamuah-Mensah

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Professor Jophus Anamuah-Mensah, has recommended the upgrading of basic level schools to model status as part of efforts to arrest the lowering standards of education in the country.

In addition, he suggested that, the mode of teaching at the basic and second cycle levels should be 'more student centred instead of the present teacher centred teaching approach.'

To this end, the Vice-Chancellor urged teachers to help students adopt the information searching approach in learning and not to 'merely copy notes and re-produce them during examinations.'

Prof. Anamuah-Mensah gave these prescriptions at the maiden media encounter between the UEW and managers and senior editors in Accra on Monday, on the 'Role of the University of Education, Winneba in the implementation of the national educational reforms.'

During the two-hour presentation, he highlighted on the history, current developments and future orientation of UEW, as well as successes, challenges, major achievements and innovations, and projects funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY).

Prof. Anamuah-Mensah said the university started as a specialist teacher training institution and is committed to become a leading teacher training institution in Africa.

At present, he said, the University runs three campuses at Winneba, Mampong Ashanti and Kumasi, and has a student population of 23,262 with a staff population of 1,453.

The mission of the university is to 'serve as a centre of excellence which will inculcate in its products the requisite academic ability and professional competencies, and imbue them to humanistic values for teaching at the pre-tertiary level, conduct research, disseminate relevant knowledge skills, and influence educational policy,' the Vice Chancellor explained.

He said the University offers courses in technology, agriculture and business education, creative arts, educational studies, science, social sciences and languages education comprising Fanti, Nzema, Twi, Dangme, Ga, Dagaare, Dagbani, Gonja, Gurene, Kasem, Ewe, French and English.

Prof. Anamuah-Mensah stated that, the university at the moment faces acute residential accommodation problem for both the staff and students.

Under the CCNY grant, the Vice-Chancellor said UEW has for the past three years received one million, six hundred and eighty six thousand dollars to fund projects in distance education, student internship programme, postgraduate studies with women in focus and promoting gender equity through gender mainstreaming.