President Kufuor Tasks UCC To Ensure Success Of Educational Reform
The President, John Agyekum Kufuor, last Saturday tasked the University of Cape Coast (UCC) to help ensure the successful implementation of the new educational reforms to enhance quality education in the country.
The President pointed out that tertiary level education, depended on the quality of the preparation at the pre-tertiary level that UCC as the premier teaching university, 'must therefore, take keen interest in what happens at the Basic and Secondary School levels.'
President Kufuor made the call in an address read for him by Ms Elizabeth Ohene, a Minister of State at Ministry of Education, Science and Sports at the 'second session' of the 38th annual congregation of the UCC, Cape Coast in the Central Region.
The President, noted that the educational reforms, was the most important and far-reaching intervention instituted by the government, in addition to interventions like the capitation grant, school feeding programmes and the upgrading of teacher training colleges. He commended the UCC for the great strides it has made in introducing programmes and courses geared towards addressing the needs of the job market, but cautioned that this enjoined the university to ensure quality to satisfy the market.
'It is crucial that academic quality is not compromised by the anxiety to fill the market', he stressed and expressed happiness at the university's efforts to perfect the distance education and sandwich programmes designed to meet the needs of teachers and other workers who cannot take time off to study full time.
Touching on the UCC's school of Medical Sciences, the President was happy that the university had been granted accreditation for the commencement of the School and pledged the government's support towards the project. He urged it to draw on the experience the nation has had in the establishment of Schools of Medicine, in order to ensure that it is not 'guided solely by enthusiasm.'
The President, exhorted the graduands to endeavour to apply themselves to improve the society and to be responsible citizens, since the nation had invested a lot in them.
The Vice-Chancellor, Reverend Professor Emmanuel Adow Obeng, on his part, enumerated various programmes being undertaking throughout the university to enhance all spheres of academic work to enhance its contribution to national development.
He said for instance, the Faculty of Social Sciences, had set up an Economic Modelling Unit to provide in-service training in policy modelling and techniques for the technical staff of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Bank of Ghana and other government agencies. The unit, he said, also intends to collaborate with other institutions to build an economic model for the country.
In his welcoming address, the Chancellor of the UCC, Sir Sam Jonah, expressed hapiness that the UCC continues to evolve strategies to meet the challenges of the job.
At the ceremony, students from Graduate Studies, School of Business and the Faculties of Education, Science and Social Sciences, were presented with degrees, diplomas and certificates.
A total of 6,235 students graduated this year, with Mr Ernest Jackson-Kuofie, a computer science student, who had First Class in Computer Science, emerging the overall best graduating student and Ms Mavis Owusu-Mensah, a visually impaired student, the best graduating blind student.