The College of Education on Tuesday, the 11th of November, 2014 organised a one day Workshop at the Yiri Lodge, University of Ghana for stakeholders to evaluate and critique proposed programmes to be run in the 2015/2016 academic year by its new School of Education and Leadership.
The College of Education came into being with the commencement of the collegiate system of governance at the University of Ghana in the 2014/2015 academic year. The College is made up of the Schools of Information and Communication Studies, Continuing and Distance Education and the School of Education and Leadership.
The School of Education and Leadership is a new school, made up of three (3) Departments namely the Department of Educational Studies and Leadership, Department of Physical Education and Sports and the Department of Teacher Education.
The workshop was well attended mainly by experts in education and sports management in Ghana, including the Minister for Youth and Sports, Honourable Mahama Ayariga, and the acting Director General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr. Charles Y. Aheto-Tsegah.
The Provost, Rev. Professor Cephas Omenyo, delivering his welcome address.
Welcoming participants to the Workshop, the Provost of the College, Professor Cephas Omenyo stated that the University of Ghana in the past, (from 1950 to 1962), had a Department of Education, which offered a one year postgraduate certificate in Education that earned students the recognition as professional teachers. When the University of Cape Coast (UCC) was established however, the then President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah moved the Department of Education from Legon to Cape Coast. He said the establishment of a School of Education and Leadership within the College of Education at Legon therefore is not a novelty but an attempt at revisiting a past tradition. He emphasized that the uniqueness of the education programme in Legon lies in two major areas namely, that it is an ICT driven programme and also research-based. He added that since most major universities world-wide run programmes in education, the University of Ghana has taken the right decision in re-introducing programmes in education and leadership.
The Provost also indicated that sport is a huge industry from which Ghana could derive immense benefit but noted however that the major problem the sports sector is experiencing in Ghana is poor management and was convinced that the Department of Physical Education and Sports could contribute effectively to the management of sports in Ghana and also worldwide.
Professor Omenyo said the main purpose of the workshop was to get the invited participants to make inputs on the design and structure of the School’s programmes, and urged the participants to be candid but constructive in their submissions.
Hon. Mahama Ayariga, Minister for Sports addressing the Workshop
The Minister of Sports, Hon. Mahama Ayariga in his remarks congratulated the UG for the bold step it has taken to introduce sports in its curricula at both bachelors and master’s degree levels. This he said was a laudable initiative and assured the College of the support of his Ministry. He added that he was particularly impressed with the contents of the sports curricula.
Overviews of the programmes in Educational Leadership, Physical Education and Sports, and Teacher Education were presented by the Resource Persons which included Dr Yaa Cole, the Interim Coordinator of the School of Education and Leadership, Dr. Joseph Cobbinah of the School of Continuing and Distance Education, Professor Kwame Akyeampong of the University of Sussex, UK and Dr Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah, the immediate past Director of Sports at Legon.
The Participants made very useful inputs and contributions to the various programme contents that were presented by the facilitators.
Other key stakeholders who participated in the Workshop were Prof J.S Djangmah, a former Director General of the Ghana Education Service, Dr. Ato Essuman, Former Chief Director at the Ministry of Education (MOE), Mrs. Cynthia Bosumtwi-Sam, Director of Curriculum Research and Development Division, GES, Mr. Samuel Ofori-Agyei, President, Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), Mr. Frank K. Aidoo from the National Inspectorate Board, Mrs. Beatrice Adom and Mrs. Lady-Queen Asiedu-Akrofi, the Headmistresses of Achimota School and PRESEC, Legon respectively, Dr. Augustine Tawiah and Mr. E.T. Aboagye, both of the National Tertiary Council (MOE), Mrs. Judith Sawyer, Mr. Leslie Tettey and Mr. Fredrick Otchere all from GNECC, and Mr. R. Kwamikorkor of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT).
Others were Mr. Akwasi Addae Boahene, Mr. Rob Smith, Mr. John Martin, all from the Cambridge Education, Ghana, Mr. Divine Ayidzoe, NCCA, Mr. Ignatius Elletey, National Sports Authority, Mr. Charles Osei-Asibey of the Ghana Sports Writers Association (SWAG) and also of Happy FM, Dr. Bella Bello Bitugu, Director, Sports Directorate and Dr. Boakye-Yiadom of the Department of Economics both of the University of Ghana.
Some members of the College of Education present were Mrs. Christy Badu, the Interim College Secretary, Prof. Harry Akussah, the Acting Dean of the School of Information and Communication Studies, Mrs. Cynthia Adu, the College Academic Officer and Mr. Eric Acheampong, the School Officer of the School of Education and Leadership.
Also present were Mrs. Regina Boateng, an Assistant Registrar at the Sports Directorate and Mr. Andrew Omenyo from the Public Affairs Directorate.
In his closing remarks, the Provost expressed his appreciation to all present for making the programme very successful. He also took the opportunity to announce that the College of Education would hold an international conference on education in the early part of 2015 and extended an invitation to all the participants. He thanked the participants again for their presence and for their useful contributions. He also urged them to continue with the interest they have shown in the School of Education and Leadership and also in the College of Education.
Some participants at the Workshop
A section of participants at the Workshop