The University of Education, Winneba, has moved to institute programmes that will take care of the academic progression of the staff of colleges of education affiliated to the university.

The university has assured all categories of staff of colleges of education affiliated to it that the new programmes will seek to avert the situation that has befallen many of the staff of the technical universities in Ghana who have been demoted as a result of their transition from polytechnics to technical universities.

The Winneba-based university hopes this move will also satisfy the requirements of the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE).

Vice Chancellor of the university, Rev. Prof. Anthony Afful-Broni, disclosed this at the maiden meeting of principals of colleges of education affiliated to the university.

The meeting that marked the first gathering of the UEW management and the Principals of the Colleges of Education also signalled the beginning of an officially sanctioned arrangement for the two parties – UEW and the Colleges of Education -- to work together after the NCTE’s official declaration of affiliation on April 3.

“This meeting marks a watershed of our relationship with the colleges of education. This is for us to further concretise our mission and vision of the recently launched teacher education reforms in Ghana,” he stated.

Out of the 46 colleges of Education in the country, the University has 15 affiliated to it.

Prof. Anthony Afful-Broni indicated the institution was implementing some of the leading reforms in the improvement of teacher education sector in the country and urged the colleges to roll along with the university.

“UEW has been supporting the agenda that teachers would be prepared and motivated for the career dedicated to improving young minds. We have been working on the improvement of the management of colleges -- expanding teacher training methods, gender equality reforms aimed at positioning the university better ahead of its peers,” he said.

The prime objective of the meeting, the Vice Chancellor explained, is to achieve the directives of NCTE’s letter mandating UEW to meet and discuss the framework of working together with the affiliated colleges of education and subsequently communicate the feedback to the NCTE.

The Central Regional Minister, Kwamena Duncan, assisted the Vice Chancellor to commission a clothing production unit for the Home Economics Department and a restaurant for the University.

The university also cut a sod for the commencement of some infrastructural projects.