By Edward Williams
Hohoe (V/R), May 15, GNA – Dr Adwoa Kwegyiriba, Principal of the St Francis College of Education (FRANCO), Hohoe, has said female admissions to the College’s 2022/2023 academic year satisfied its objective of Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Strategic Plan of Gender Parity Attainment of 50:50.
The College has a total number of 160 female students out of 310 admitted students for the 2022/2023 academic year representing 51.6 per cent as against 150 male students representing 48.4 per cent.
Dr Kwegyiriba in her address during the College’s 16th Matriculation said they received 2,716 applications out of which 2,231 qualified for admission but the College was able to admit only 310 representing 13.8 per cent of qualified applicants.
She said out of the admitted students, 295 opted for the Junior High School (JHS) Education Programme representing 95.16 per cent and 15 students for Primary Education representing 4.83 per cent while 165 students were offering Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics-related programmes.
Dr Kwegyiriba said Franco had a well-planned environment with beautiful scenery and infrastructure and notwithstanding, management was making frantic efforts to improve the infrastructural development.
“Currently, a 300 Capacity Hostel Project for students is ongoing as an initiative by Government through GTEC. Our Library is also in the transformational process to an ultra-modern one.”
She said the College was working on an e-library that would support and enhance research activities, had resourced its Computer Laboratory with over 50 computers and lecture halls undergoing a facelift with some renovations which would soon be well-furnished to make them more conducive for learning.
Dr Kwegyiriba said discipline was one of the core values of the College and admonished the new students to obey the authorities, staff, as well as their fellow students and added that any act of indiscipline would not be tolerated.
She said the College had built good relations with the Hohoe community, strived to live peacefully with members of the community and would not expect any of the new students to tarnish the good image and reputation by engaging in acts such as fighting and smoking.
Professor James Flolu, Chairman of Governing Council of the Ho Technical University, said it was the expectation that the new students would become professionals in future and contribute their quota to the state and serve as role models.
He urged them to be prepared to become responsible, self-reliant, independent individuals and take responsibility for their decisions and academic performance to make their standard of learning comparable to the University of Cape Coast.
Professor Flolu urged the staff to confront the new students in their approach and attitude to teaching and introduce new, challenging methods in imbibing knowledge in them.
Ms Akakpo-Mawutor Esther, Master Lawrence Soglo and Ms Addo Abigail presenting the matriculants’ expectations addressed on behalf of the new students, noted that they expected the College to equip them with the necessary and relevant pedagogical skills of a 21st-century facilitator.
They said they expected that the College would assist them to acquire in-depth content knowledge through the help of experienced and hardworking tutors, a well-equipped library, a robust computer laboratory and services from the Guidance and Counseling, Quality Assurance and the Academic Affairs Units.
They also said they were expectant that the College would make them more technologically inclined and organize seminars, conferences, and webinars for them to witness.
The new students swore the matriculation oath and took a declaration of obedience.
GNA