Accra, May 14, GNA - Principals of the country's 38 Teachers Training Colleges on Wednesday commended the Government for its landmark policy interventions to improve the quality of education. They said they recognized the upgrading of the Teacher Training Colleges to the tertiary level, logistics support and infrastructure development.

Mr Emmanuel Kingsley Osei, National President of the Principals Conference, said they appreciated what the Government had done and continued to do to lift the standard of education. This was when they called on President John Agyekum Kufuor at the Credentials Hall of the Castle, Osu. "You have done very well. We appreciate your personal commitment to quality education and concern towards raising the standards of Training Colleges," Mr Osei said.

The government, in addition to the provision of buses to all the 38 Colleges, has constructed libraries, computer and science laboratories and classrooms. President Kufuor challenged teachers to justify the prominence the Government was giving to them by showing commitment to their profession and turning out high performing products. Ghana, he said, needed the teacher to take itself out of the ranks of the underdeveloped.

President Kufuor noted that they were the pivot around which all levels of education revolved and therefore anyone who really cared about change could simply not fail to recognize them as key factor for transformation. He said whatever the Government was doing for the Training Colleges was anchored on its firm belief that, "this is what would move Ghana forward".

The focus on these Colleges, he said, was to ensure that they produced well rounded teachers to serve as the vehicle to deliver on the Government's number one priority of human resource development. "You do not have to be exceptionally gifted to see the shift that is coming as a result of globalization. We are living in complex times - computers and electronics. It is through education that we would become part of mainstream globalization." President Kufuor later granted audience to former World Bank President Mr James Wolfensen, who is in the country to deliver a lecture.

He conveyed to him Ghana's appreciation for his encouragement and support during the critical period the country took the decision on the HIPC Initiative. "You proved to be a great friend of this country. You kept your word to support us to get out of the woods and turn the economy around." Mr Wolfensen said he was impressed by Ghana's economic performance and was happy to have worked together with it on debt reduction.