The Minister for Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, has hinted that plans are far advanced towards upgrading some Colleges of Education in the country into fully-fledged universities status.
He explained that the move would ensure that such universities would be able to operate on their own and run their own programs towards the development and transformation of the nation.
“After operating between 50 to 100 years and even more, why such colleges must continue to be affiliated to other Universities although they qualify to be autonomous”. He said.
Dr. Adutwum announced this on Monday when the new leadership of the Ghana National Association of Teachers paid a courtesy call on him in Accra.
The meeting was to introduce the new leaders who were elected into office in January during their quadrennial congress in Kumasi.
The Education Minister who is a career educationist and a Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe said, a memo on the upgrading of the Colleges has been sent to Cabinet for study and approval before the necessary action and process would be followed.
Collaboration
He assured the new leadership of GNAT of his readiness to continue working with them for the development of education in the country.
“As development partners, there is the need for us all to think about how best to support the transformation agenda of the country which stand the chance of turning around the development of the country”. Dr. Adutwum said.
Commendation
The Education Minister commended the teacher Unions in the country especially GNAT for their role in promoting the development of education in the country.
He urged the leadership of Unions to make it a point to use dialogue in resolving issues at all times to ensure peace prevailed at the labour front instead of strike actions which usually bring about agitations.
“As a matter of fact, my focus now is to ensure that teachers get the best of support in capacity building as well as enhancing their welfare” he said.
Teachers Welfare Desk
He announced that a desk called “teachers welfare desk” has been established in his office with the sole objective of receiving information and complaints about teachers and working swiftly to resolve them.
Dr Adutwum said there was no need to use the media for the resolution of challenges and rather use the media to promote development initiatives for the general populace to appreciate what was being done to improve the education sector across the country.
The New President of GNAT, Reverend Isaac Owusu, assured the Minister of their support towards the development of the various initiatives and interventions being implemented by the government to transform the nation’s education.
He stated that the Unions are only interested in supporting the welfare of teachers and how to improve their effective teaching and learning.
Gnat Entourage
Other members of the National Executives of GNAT who visited the Education Minister were Mrs Amanda Lucy Asamoah, Vice President, Mr Thomas Tanko Musah, General Secretary, Mr Nicholas Taylor, Administration and Organization, Mr Kwame Dagbandow, Dep. Gen. Secretary, Mr Daniel Affadu, Deputy General Secretary, Mr Ransford Kofi Nsiah Lolih, Treasurer, Mr John Mensah Owusu, 1st Trustee, Mrs Mercy Nabia Sagbil, 2nd Trustee and Mr Peter Korda, Public Relations Officer.
