The Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, has tasked governing councils of Colleges of Education (CoE) to work hard and ensure that the Colleges train critical thinking teachers so they could also train critical thinking students.

He explained that for the nation to be transformed, there is the need for schools to train critical thinking, assertive and problem-solving students and not students who would do “chew and pour”.

Dr. Adutwum announced this when he inaugurated the governing councils of ten CoE in Accra on Tuesday.

The event saw the members of the councils of the various Colleges swearing the oaths of office and secrecy.

The Minister indicated that as council members, they have a critical role to play to ensure that they assist their institutions to help transform the way teaching and learning takes place in their colleges.

Taming students 

“We have to stop taming students and rather help them to be assertive so they could open up at all times and ask critical questions wherever they might find themselves in the course of their lives”. Dr. Adutwum said.

Again he said, “You have a huge responsibility to support the transformation of the nation through education, this you can do by bringing your expertise to bear to ensure that Councils benefit from the huge barrage of your experience and skills to promote the development of education in your institutions”.

He enumerated the various investments and transformation measures being promoted by President Nana Akufo-Addo's government which is aimed at catapulting the nation’s transformation agenda.

Leakage of minutes 

Dr. Adutwum who is also the Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe charged the council members to ensure that they comply with the oaths of secrecy and office and desist from leaking minutes of meetings to other people.

He explained that leaking of such minutes could discourage members from making inputs at meetings since they would fear it would be leaked out leading to various challenges.

“Remember that you are not here to serve the one who appointed you to the council but the institution to which you have been appointed to," the Minister said.

Commendation 

The Most Rev. Gabriel Yaw Anokye, Chairperson for the St. Louis College of Education, thanked the government for the confidence reposed in them and pledged to work hard to enhance the training of teachers in the colleges.

He stated that every effort would be made to support the Management and staff of the various colleges to promote teaching and learning in the colleges.

The 10 colleges which had their governing councils inaugurated are St. Louis, Kibi Presby, Peki, Fosu, Holy Child, Tamale, St. John Bosco, Gambaga, St. Monica’s and Ola Colleges of Education.

The governing councils for the remaining 36 colleges are yet to be inaugurated.