Teacher Training Education
Quality teacher education is crucial for effective education outcomes. To this end,
facilities in all the 38 public Teacher Training Colleges have been rehabilitated under the
German Agency for Technical Co-operation (GTZ) and JICA assistance programme.
Under a new programme known as In-In- Out, teacher trainees have been offered the
opportunity of gaining long practical internship experience in schools. It is a schoolbased training scheme in which trainees are expected to spend two years at school and
use the third year for practical training in the classroom. All the 38 public Teacher
Training Colleges have been upgraded into diploma awarding institutions to ensure
quality teaching and learning in schools. Enrolment has increased from 18,955 in 1994 to
21, 410 in 2001 (Tecaher Education Division, GES)
.
District Sponsorship Scheme in Teacher Training
The Scheme has ensured constant supply of trained teachers to rural/deprived areas.
Districts experiencing difficulties in meeting school requirement for qualified teachers
are allowed to sponsor candidates for training. On completion of their training, it is
incumbent upon such beneficiaries to teach in the districts that sponsor them for at least
three years. Most rural areas have benefited greatly from the scheme; thus improving the
status of teacher supply to rural schools.
Girl – Child Education Promotion Initiative
The Ministry of Education has established a Girl Education Unit for the GES to increase
the enrolment of girls in schools. The unit was tasked to reduce the dropout rate of girls
from 30% to 20% in the primary schools and in the JSS from 27% to 15%. Considerable
progress has been made in this area. For example while in 1990/91 girls’ enrolment at
the primary level was 45%, in 2000/2001 it was 47.2%. That of the JSS went up 45.3%
in 2000/2001 from 40.8% in 1990/91.
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A science technology and mathematics education (STME) clinics for girls has been
instituted to promote the interest of girls, in science, technology and mathematics
education and also enable them interact with women scientists and technologists. The
clinics have been decentralized to the district level and this has resulted in an increase in
the number of girls pursuing science and technology rated course in our secondary
schools as well as the Universities. In addition, the Girl Child Scholarship programme
began in 2001 by the Ghana Education Service continues to enjoy support from the
GETFund.
Tertiary Education
At the moment there are 10 Polytechnics in Ghana (one in each region) and 6 public and
10 private universities. The National Accreditation Board has accredited 9 Tutorial
professional colleges (which prepare students to take examination of accredited
(recognized) bodies within and outside Ghana, and 2 distance education-learning centres
that represent accredited universities outside Ghana. Enrolment in all tertiary institutions
has improved considerably. For example enrolment in Polytechnics increased from 1,
299 in 1994 to 18, 474 in 2000/2001.
Capacity building in teaching, research, leadership, information technology and others
have become a policy priority for the Ghana government. To this end, polytechnics as an
example, are being encouraged to introduce post-HND and Bachelor of Technology
programmes to produce requisite manpower for industries. Physical infrastructure in the
area of office, residential and classroom accommodation, libraries, laboratory facilities as
well as tools and equipment supply in all tertiary institutions have shown considerable
improved through the funding of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND).
All universities in the country have also established quality assurance units through
which performance at the institutional, faculty and departmental levels are evaluated.
These are to ensure quality and relevance in all aspects of university life, teaching,
research, and institutional mission, vision and focus. of lecturers in teaching and research
are evaluated.