Koforidua, Nov. 12, GNA - Mr Alex Narh Tettey-Enyo, Minister of Education, on Friday, inaugurated the interim Governing Councils of Colle= ges of Education in the Eastern Region, at a ceremony in Koforidua. The colleges are the Presbyterian College of Education at Akropong Akuapem, Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) College of Education at Asokore, in Koforidua, Mount Mary College of Education, Somanya, Presbyterian College= of Education, Kyebi, Presbyterian Women's College of Education at Aburi and the Presbyterian College of Education at Abetifi.

Mr Tettey-Enyo told the gathering that, as Tertiary Institutions, Colleges of Education are enjoined to have Governing Councils, to exercis= e oversight responsibilities over the Colleges. "However the Colleges of Education Bill, 2010 is currently being finalized at the office of the Attorney-General for submission to Cabinet=

and to Parliament for approval. He said it had become necessary to put in place interim councils for=

the colleges of Education, to enable them to function effectively, pendin= g the promulgation of the Colleges of Education Bill into an Act of Parliament. Mr Tettey-Enyo indicated that the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE) would soon organize orientation workshops for all the interim Councils of the colleges to discuss in detail, their roles and responsibilities as council members.

He said it was an important activity which the interim councils shou= ld take seriously and commit resources, including time and budget. Mr Tettey-Enyo said the NCTE had an important responsibility to nurt= ure the Councils of the Colleges. "In this regard NCTE would review its road map for the Colleges of Education, indicating milestones that have been achieved and the timetabl= e for achieving outstanding ones". "In order to provide a common platform for the implementation of the=

upgrading of the Colleges of Education, NCTE should task a group to undertake the assignment". Mr Tettey-Enyo said he was aware the NCTE had tasked a technical committee to advise on a number of issues, including the preparation of t= he Colleges of Education Bill, screening of staff and the determination of conditions of service of staff. He however urged the NCTE to prioritize the outstanding issues and g= ive them urgent attention. The education minister mentioned the appointment of principals, as another important issue and said a number of recommendations had been mad= e by the NCTE in that regard, and urged the Interim Councils to study the recommendations and take appropriate actions.

"There are 11 Colleges where the position of the Principal is either=

vacant or will soon be vacant. I would urge the NCTE to initiate the proc= ess for the replacement and make appropriate recommendations to the Interim Councils for consideration". Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, Eastern Regional Minister, tasked the member= s to ensure that quality education is provided at their various colleges, t= o reflect the government's vision of "investing in people". He challenged them to live up to their important roles of shaping th= e vision of their respective councils and expressed the hope that they woul= d bring their expertise and skills to bear on the colleges. Mr Gbiel Simon Suurbareh, Supervising High Court Judge, later swore in the council members.