TEACHER EDUCATION MUST LOOK BEYOND CLASSROOMS (NOV 9, PAGE 11)

THE Principal of the College of Technology of Education (Kumasi Campus) of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Prof. James Flolu, has stressed the need for teacher education in the country to look beyond classroom teachers.
He said the age-long tradition of defining teacher education which was limited to classroom teachers had outlived its usefulness because teachers were found in every organisation and establishment in the country.
“Teachers are found in the banks, ministries, accounting firms and the rest and those of us in teacher training institutions should make the best out of this,” he stressed.
Outlining his vision statement for the Kumasi Campus, Prof. Flolu said there was the need for the university to design programmes that would equip products of the university to teach in other establishments outside the traditional classroom.
Prof. Flolu who took over from Prof. Steve Sobotie about a month ago was until his appointment, the Dean of the School of Creative Arts at the Main Campus of the UEW.
The principal noted that the graduates of the University of Cape Coast were getting employment in various organisations because of the systematic development of programmes tailored towards industry.
Those of us in UEW can also do well in that area and we need to perform better through the institution of appropriate programmes, he noted.
Prof. Flolu stressed the importance of research in academic work and said, “any academic who does not subject his or her teaching to research can be described as being behind knowledge”.
He gave the assurance that every effort would be made to help lecturers at the Kumasi Campus with masters degrees to enrol for the PhD programmes in local universities.
“We are negotiating with the local universities to make this dream a reality,” he said.
Prof. Flolu said he would not encourage on-line degrees for teaching “because teaching has something special to it”.
He stated that many of the projects on the campus were being funded by internally generated funds and said his administration would explore other areas of funding.
The principal said the Kumasi Campus was attracting high-level students because of various reasons including introduction of new academic programmes.
Currently the student population stands at over 10,000 and Prof. Flolu said it called for the expansion of facilities.
“We will strengthen existing programmes of study to ensure that we get the best of products in the country,” he said.