University don calls for expansion of ICT

Professor Clifford Tagoe, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, on Saturday appealed to the government to bring Information Communication Technology (ICT) to the doorstep of all educational institutions regardless of location or social standing.

He said this required the political to take decisions that would improve the educational system and ensure the nation's progress and socio-economic development.

Prof. Tagoe said this at the third congregation and eighth matriculation of the Catholic University College of Ghana (CUCG) at Fiapre near Sunyani.

The combination of the both graduation and matriculation ceremonies marked the first of its kind by the University and 92 students graduated for the 2007/2008 academic year whilst 176 fresh students were admitted, beside 622 earlier in October for various programmes for the 2008/2009 academic year.

The Vice-Chancellor said it was crucial for “young people to gain access to technological tools and networks of knowledge sharing that open the door to participation in knowledge sharing societies”.

Prof Tagoe appealed to the government to put in place measures to ensure that teachers were well trained and motivated while students had greater access to facilities and technology which would instil in them a life-long love of learning.

That would also prepare them to place greater emphasis on personal initiative and entrepreneurship for the attainment of life-skills and social competence.

Prof .Tagoe suggested to the CUCG to consider the introduction of distance learning programmes to serve large number of qualified persons who each year fail to gain admission to pursue higher education.

He said other prospective students whose work schedules did not enable them to take time off to pursue university level programmes could also take advantage of it.

Professor James Hawkins Ephraim, Vice-Chancellor of the CUCG, said the university was growing steadily and now has a student population of 1,450.

He said the expansion of the university has been made possible because of the quality and relevant academic programmes and training that were being offered for the holistic moral, mental, psychological and physical development of the students to meet the changing needs of the society.

Most Reverend Joseph Osei-Bonsu, chairman of the university's board of trustees and Archbishop of Konongo-Mampong, said the CUCG was established in fulfilment of the church's evangelizing mission that had both spiritual and a material dimension.

Most Reverend Leon B. Kalega, the Apostolic Nuncio in Ghana, commended the Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference for establishing the university and the development projects being undertaken to enhance teaching and learning.

He appealed to the government to widen and tar the narrow and dusty 5.5 kilometres stretch of road that leads to the university campus from Fiapre.