By Philip Tengzu, GNA
Wa (UW/R), Sept. 23, GNA – The Nusrat Jahan Ahmadiyya (NJA) College of Education in Wa has held its sixth congregation, which saw the graduation of the first batch of the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) students.
The graduates were urged to exhibit high professionalism in service delivery.
A total of 276 students were admitted for the first batch of the degree programme in the 2018/2019 academic year, but 249 of them graduated with Bachelor’s Degree in Basic Education.
Two students graduated with First Class, 109 with Second Class Upper, 86 with Second Class Lower, 47 with Third Class, while five graduated with a Pass.
Professor Godwin Awabil of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) who represented the UCC Vice Chancellor, conferred the degrees on the graduates.
Mr Abdul-Moomin Abdul-Aziz, the Acting Principal of the College, said the Management was working with UCC to resolve the pending issues to enable the remaining 27 students to graduate this year.
He said the College had moulded the graduates to be embodiment of dedication, resilience, with a thirst for knowledge to become catalysts of change.
The graduates were not only recognised as academic achievers but also people tasked to shape the future, a responsibility they ought to live up to.
Mr Abdul-Aziz urged them to employ the knowledge, skills and moral fortitude acquired to make a significant impact in society.
He explained that despite the infrastructure and staff deficit of the College, it was bracing the odds to offer quality training to the mass of people who had made it their place of choice to acquire knowledge.
Maulvi Noor-Mohammed Bin Salih, the Council Chairman of the College, congratulated the graduates for their endurance, discipline, hard work and sacrifice to successfully complete their four-year degree programme.
“No doubt they indeed have turned out nicely and cheerfully to be graduated and admitted into the teaching profession as professionally qualified teachers”, he said.
Dr Hafiz Bin Salih, the Upper West Regional Minister, commended the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission for “a distinguished history of service to humanity and society” and said the Mission’s contribution to the development of the Upper West Region could not be underestimated.
“As we call for quality inclusive education from our teachers and colleges of education, we recognise that the government has a role in creating the enabling environment for quality teacher education”, he said.
It was for that reason the Government, in 2018, upgraded all 46 colleges of education to degree awarding intuitions to help ensure quality training for teacher trainees, he said.
Dr Salih encouraged the new graduates to accept postings to rural areas to serve since those were the places where their services were needed most.
Mr Christopher Yengdong, the Best Graduating Student, gave the assurance that his colleagues and himself were poised to execute their tasks to the optimum.
He appreciated the efforts of the College staff, especially past and present principals, for their roles in ensuring that they navigated the challenges in the school to complete their programme successfully.
The 1st Class students, Mr Christopher Yendong and Mr Jonas Dienta Dery, were presented with a laptop each.
The NJA College of Education currently has 1,541 students, comprising 783 females and 758 males- with 45 teaching staff and 53 non-teaching staff.
Traditional leaders, Members of the College Council and former staff, and representatives of sister universities and colleges of Education, among others, attended the graduation ceremony.
It was on the theme: “Quality Inclusive Education, the Role of the New B.Ed Teacher”.
GNA