Cape Coast, Aug 22, GNA - The University of Cape Coast (UCC), has been urged to complement government's efforts in improving the quality of teacher training education as part of the Education Reforms by "monitoring the Colleges of Education to meet tertiary status". Mr. Alex Tettey-Enyo, Minister of Education, made the call when he inaugurated the re-constituted governing council for the UCC on Friday at Cape Coast.

He said there was the need to upgrade the knowledge and skills of the teaching staff of Teacher Training Colleges and to produce more graduate teachers for basic schools and pre-school education centres. Mr. Tettey-Enyo said the Ministry regarded the UCC as a strategic partner in the successful implementation of the Education Reforms and tasked the University to ensure that its primary focus of turning out quality teachers was not compromised by the diversification of its programmes.

He asked the UCC to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Colleges of Education for the training and upgrading of knowledge of senior management and evolve a "more flexible way" of running the Distance Education for teachers so that they would not miss out contact hours with school children.

Mr. Tettey-Enyo stressed that the success of any Education Reforms depended on the quality of teachers and said the country would continue to rely on the UCC and the University of Education Winneba (UEW) for quality teachers to support the country's education. He commended the UCC for expanding its educational mandate in response to the diverse manpower needs of the economy. Mr. Tettey-Enyo expressed the hope that the country would benefit from the "rich knowledge, expertise and experience" of members of the council.

The 13-member council, which has Mr. Justice Alexander Kobina Baah Ampiah, a retired Supreme Court Judge and Legal Consultant, as chairman, would be expected to support the UCC to fulfill its vision, mission and mandate.

Chairman of the Council pledged that members would work with the UCC to improve education in the country. Members of the council are Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Vice Chancellor of UCC, Nana Sam Brew-Butler, former Ghana Football Association chairman, Ms Araba Bentsil-Enchill of the Convention People's Party and Dr Mawuli Adjei, a former broadcaster, all government nominees.

Others are Prof. Dominic Kuupole and Dr. E.A Obodai, both representatives of the UCC Convocation, Reverend Paa Solomon Grant Essilfie, representative of the Ghana Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools and Mr. E.A Abole, representative of the University Teachers Association of Ghana representative. The rest are Nana Kusi-Appiah, representative of the University alumni, Mr. Peter Aboadwe of Teachers and Educational Workers Union, Mr. George Maxwell Essel of the Graduate Students Association of Ghana and Mr. Richard Asumah Kyere of the Students' Representative Council of the UCC.