Offinso (Ash), Feb.2, GNA - The Vice-President Alhaji Aliu Mahama has called on students to focus beyond their curriculum and seek to appreciate events that happen worldwide.
This, he said, they can do through wider reading, the use of Information and Communication technology (ICT) and paying more attention to the processes of government around them.
The Vice-President, who was speaking at the Golden jubilee anniversary celebration of Offinso Training College at Offinso on Friday, said by this, they would come out of school as well rounded citizens capable if contributing to the well-being of the larger society.
He said the theme for the celebration: "Quality Teachers Education, the Bedrock for National development" vindicates government's recognition of education as the most important tool for human resource development.
Alhaji Aliu Mahama said teachers constitute one of the most important groups of workers within the public sector whose services were very critical, for the re-engineering of society. To this end, he said the government would not relent in its efforts to ensure that they enjoy acceptable conditions of service commensurate with their calling in this country. "The perception that teachers are not important in the scheme of things in the country is erroneous. Without the teaching profession we shall be mortgaging the future of society," he said. The Vice-President advised the students to always resist being influenced by acts of indiscipline such as lack of respect for authority and other acts of vandalism, as is often the case in some of the educational institutions.
The Vice-President had earlier inaugurated a mechanised borehole project provided by the College's Parent/ Teacher Association at a cost of 120 million cedis and also cut the sod for the construction of a six-flat bungalow for teachers of the College.
Professor James Adu-Opare, who deputised for Vice-President of the University of Cape Coast called on educational institutions to produce innovative and creative teachers to teach classroom-based action research.
He also called on teacher educational institutions to promote beliefs, values and attitudes that make teachers love their work and stressed the need for them to also teach students to learn not to make teaching a subversive activity.
Nana Opoku Asiedu II, Principal of the College said the college began with only 32 female students and now had a population of 823 regular students, over 700 Untrained Teacher Training Diploma Basic Education (UTTDB) students, 41 tutors and 50 non-teaching staff members. He said in accordance with teacher education reforms in the country, the College has transformed from Two-year certificate 'B' through 'A' -Four-year Post Middle, co-educational 'A', Two'-year post Secondary "A", three-year post secondary to the current Diploma in Basic Education Teacher Training status.
Nana Asiedu paid glowing tribute to the founding fathers of the Training College particularly, the late Nana Wiafe Akenten II, Offinsomanhene and the late Opanin Kwadwo Krah who offered his personal storey building to house the College free of charge for the first 11 years of its inception.
On the achievements of the College, the Principal said, the College slowly and steadily had trained over 7,000 teachers many of whom have risen to high positions in the public service, in the clergy and in business.
He said, on Campus Demonstration School nurtured by the College had grown from nursery to a pace-setter junior secondary school and the school current population was over 1,500. Dr.Owusu Achaw Duah, Member of Parliament (MP) for Offinso South said he would work in close collaboration with the District Assembly and the management of the College to speed up the development of the College and called on the students and staff to give of their best to lift the image of the College. 02 Feb. 07