STUDENT ENROLMENT TO COLLEGES MUST INCREASE (PAGE 11)

THE Principal of the Presbyterian College of Education at Akropong-Akuapem, Mr Emmanuel K. Osei, has appealed to the government to increase the quota of student enrolment in colleges of education to increase the number of teachers produced each year.
This, he said, would effectively address the shortage of teachers across the country, a situation that had partly contributed to the poor academic performance of some basic schools.
The principal was speaking at the second congregation of the college during which 313 students who completed in 2008 graduated.
The event was also used to honour the principal of the college by both the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and the Board of Governors of the college, who named the new library for the institution after the principal.
Mr Osei was commended for working hard over the years to transform the college, known as “mother of schools”, into a centre of academic excellence.
The principal said while the college had a capacity to enrol at least 500 students every year, it was only allowed to admit 321 students in 2008.
Such low enrolment, he said, was adversely affecting the smooth running of the institution, since “we have empty classrooms, empty dormitory rooms and chairs left unoccupied and so on”.
“This low admission is a worrying development as we have a serious shortage of teachers in several schools in the country as was seen in the Afram Plains by the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, on a tour to the area recently,” Mr Osei stated.
Reacting to the concerns of the principal, Mr Ofosu Ampofo gave the assurance that he would do everything within his authority to immediately address the problem to enable the college to train more qualified teachers.
“Shortage of teachers as is currently the situation in the Afram Plains could only be resolved if we could train more qualified teachers than ever before,” he stated, adding for this reason, he was prepared to bring together all principals of colleges to see how best to address teacher shortages in their schools.