The Deputy Director General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (G-TEC), Prof Ahmed Jinapor has stated that the Governing Councils of the Colleges of Education play a very crucial role in the country's education system, urging them to work hard for their impact to be felt.

He said there is the need for them to focus on their mandate and ensure that their Colleges become centres of excellence in the training of teachers in the country.

Prof. Jinapor announced this in his welcome address on Friday, September 15, 2023 during the opening of a 3-day training for the Sunyani zone of the Governing Councils of Colleges of Education in Sunyani.

The training organized by the G-TEC in collaboration with T-TEL was aimed at orienting the council members of what was expected of them and also help them to understand their relationship with G-TEC.

In attendance were Governing Councils of Al-Faruk College of Education, Atebubu College of Education, St Ambrose College of Education, St Joseph’s College of Education, Wiaso College of Education, Brekum College of Education and Bia Lamplighter College of education.

Presentations were made on the establishment of the G-TEC-Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020, Act 1023, the Ghana Tertiary Education Policy, the College of Education Act, 2012 Act 847 and understanding the Business of Councils.

Other projects were the understanding of the harmonized documents of the COEs, Quality Assurance management practices at the COE, Financial management resource mobilization at the COEs, creating a budget and tertiary education improvement programme for COE expansion project.

Prof. Jinapor reminded the Council Members to see G-TEC as their collaborator in the course of their operations and not their rival since they are both working towards getting the right results for the transformation of the nation through education.

He stated that plans are underway to control the running of distance courses especially those that operate in churches, Junior High and Senior High Schools because they do not render quality teaching and learning as they do not have the requisite infrastructure and tutors.

Prof. Jinapor was upbeat that the various measures being put in place by the G-TEC were not to sanction any institution but to sanitize the tertiary education space in the country to ensure that graduates get the best training for the job market.

Vice President of the Conference of Principals of College of Education (PRINCOF), Rev. Dr Joseph Nkyi Asamoah lauded G-TEC and T-TEL for the training which would go a long way towards enhancing the cordiality between the Council Members and management of the Colleges.

He appealed to all stakeholders to do their best to ensure that the nation’s education becomes the first point of call in Africa due to its quality and relevance to the needs of the country and the rest of the world.

The relationship between Governing Councils and Principals of Colleges of Education and other management staff which is supposed to be that of cordiality at all times sometimes looks different as some see the other as competitors due to lack of understanding of the roles and responsibilities of one another.

The training seeks to help throw more light on the roles and responsibilities of the various stakeholders towards the attainment of the right results for the Colleges and the nation as a whole.