A recent proposal by the Government of Ghana to establish ten new colleges of education was shot down by the Forum for Education Reform (FFER). The Forum argued that establishing new colleges would not help to address the education issues that the country is currently facing.
University of Ghana
The Forum believes that a more effective and cost-efficient method to improve the education system is to focus on improving teacher education and expanding and improving the current facilities within the 38 colleges already in existence. They also believe that it is important to update the quality of instruction, infuse technology and update teaching methods and models.
The Chair of the Forum, Sir Sam Jonah, stated that developments such as these would lead to better output from the teacher training institutions. Additionally, he believes that through expanding current facilities the colleges’ enrollment, currently around 400 students, could easily be doubled.
The Forum announced a willingness to work with the government to establish the right standards for teacher education in Ghana. They believe that “the consequence of neglect of this area will severely undermine the country’s development.” The 14 member Forum signed and released a statement in Accra expressing their position.
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Written by Nina Thurau