The authorities of the Jackson College of Education (JCE) have pledged to continue to train highly qualified teachers who are prepared to teach in the remote parts of the country where the products of other colleges refuse to teach.

The Principal of the College, Theodosia Jackson implored the graduands to refrain from corrupt practices, such as paying money to change their positions, absenteeism, and theft of school property as they entered the profession.

They should respect the core values of JCE, namely integrity, lifelong learning, respect, and stewardship wherever they find themselves, she added.

She encouraged them to follow the philosophy of the school, which encourages teachers to work in underprivileged and rural areas to bring hope and a brighter future to children in these areas.

Mrs Jackson spoke at the 11th congregation of the College, where 1,558 students received certificates for successful completion of the course in various disciplines.

Since its establishment in 2009, the College has trained more than 18,000 teachers through distance learning. With 32 learning centres across 13 regions, JCE offers good education and opportunities for post-graduate high school students interested in teaching.

The aim is to increase access to teachers' training facilities across the country in order to complement the government's efforts towards teacher education.

The congregation, which took place via online focused on the theme of "Future-Ready Education: Empowering Minds and Shaping Futures, the Role of Distance Education."

The principal stated that the school offered a well-structured and learner-oriented distance education programme adapted to meet the requirements of the Ministry of Education.

She stated that the College has always complied with statutory requirements, and has ensured a high quality of tuition that exceeds the quality control procedures established by the mentor institution and the regulator - the University of Education, Winneba, and the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission.

Dr William Amankrah Appiah, Ashanti Regional Director for Education, said that preparing and planning for the future means that it is necessary to start now to identify unforeseen obstacles and plan for their mitigation.

He said that teachers are the most important human resources in the development of the country and the current generation, and added that highly skilled teachers are required to shape the minds of Ghanaian children to compete globally.

He said that in order to equip Ghanaian children with 21st-century skills, it is necessary for teachers to be emotionally intelligent, technologically advanced, pedagogically sound and culturally diverse.

He congratulated the founders of the College for their immense contribution to teacher education in Ghana, stating that their efforts were crucial to the promotion of quality education in Ghana.

The Chief Executive Officer of Student Loan Trust, Nana Kwaku Agyei Yeboah said that establishing and nurturing a vision for 14 years was a significant achievement and applauded the founders of the College for sustaining this vision for all these years.

He stated that education was the foundation on which development flourished, so it was important for private participation to enhance the government's efforts.

In addition, the role of the JCE and other private institutions complements the policy measures implemented by the government to accelerate the professional development of teachers, he noted.