By Benjamin A. Commey
Accra, March 15, GNA – Professor Samuel Awinkene Atintono, the Principal, Accra College of Education, has appealed to the Government to pay a special attention to the infrastructural deficit in the various colleges of education to increase student enrolment.
His call follows the college’s inability to admit more than half of qualified applicants for the 2024/25 academic year.
Out of the 1,146 applicants who were eligible for admission, only 430 were admitted, representing 37.52 per cent.
One hundred and fifty-six of the figure, representing 36.28 per cent, were males while 274 (63.72 per cent) were females.
Speaking in an interview with the media on the sidelines of the Seventh Matriculation of the College, in Accra on Friday, Prof Atintono said even though the College wished it could admit more, it was limited by infrastructure.
“We wish we could have admitted more, but we were limited by the inadequate residential facilities on campus,” he said.
However, the Principal explained that the challenge was not peculiar to the Accra College of Education, stressing that since the 46 colleges of education were upgraded from pre-tertiary institutions to tertiary ones, no major infrastructure development had taken place.
“It’s a bigger problem, not only in Accra College, but across the colleges, mainly because when they changed them from a pre-tertiary to tertiary institutions, we have never had a very massive support in terms of development of infrastructure for accommodation,” he said.
“So, what we have remains largely what we inherited from the pre-tertiary level, with only a few accommodations added.”
Prof Atintono emphasised the need for government to commit more resources to the colleges to improve their infrastructure to enable them to meet the current admission demand.
He said the Government must pay special attention to the colleges by providing funds from the GETFund to construct more residential facilities for the students.
He charged the fresh students to take advantage of the available facilities to improve themselves to contribute meaningfully to society.
Prof. Atintono assured them of the College’s readiness to support them to succeed, despite the numerous challenges it was confronted with including inadequate residential facilities, academic facilities, and electricity.
“Moreover, as you pursue your dreams, keep in mind the values that guide us: integrity, respect, and excellence.”
“Above all, envision the type of teacher and person you want to be after completing your four-year teaching career.”
GNA