Established in September 2012 by Rt Rev. (Col. Rtd) Paul Adjei Brewu, the then Bishop of the Akyem Oda Diocese of the Methodist Church, Methodist College of Education (METCOE) is a young College of Education situated in the Birim Central Municipal Assembly of the Eastern Region of Ghana. It started as a private institution and was absorbed by the government to become a public College of Education in September 2017.
The 11th Matriculation ceremony for the 2022/2023 academic year came off successfully on Friday, 03 March 2023. The Matriculation ceremony was graced by personalities such as the Governing Council Chairman of the College and the representative of the Vice Chancellor of the affiliate University, University of Education, Winneba, and traditional authorities among others.
In his speech, the Council Chairman congratulated and welcomed all the 215 matriculants who are privileged to have been admitted into a noble institution like METCOE.
He entreated the students to be disciplined so that they would achieve both academic and moral success. He also advised them to give recognition to tutors, parents, or guardians who are sponsoring their education and also make sure they do not disappoint them in anyway.
He entreated the students to always note that they were in a faith-based mission tertiary institution and that should reflect in their day-to-day activities during their 4-year stay.
He pleaded with Tutors and Staff to preach unity, peace, self-respect, and all that turn towards true Christian virtues because as trainers of trainees their life on campus had a great direct or indirect impact on their students. He further promised the Council’s support to recommend and assist any tutor or staff who wishes to upgrade him or herself and such recommendations would be based on merit.
He congratulated the Principal and his team of Management, Teaching and Non-Teaching Staff as well as the students for the great achievement of being placed among the top seven (7) best-performing Colleges of Education out of the total forty-six (46) Colleges of Education in Ghana in a recent Fidelity of Implementation conducted by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission on the rollout of the 4-Year Bachelor of Education programme in the colleges.
In his speech, the Director of the Institute for Teacher Education and Continuing Professional Development (ITECPD) of the University of Education, Winneba, Dr Samuel Bekoe asked the students to be law-abiding as they go through their studies and take heed to instructions from their tutors. He promised unflinching support to the College by providing the best intellectual abilities that will help train exceptional professional teachers around the globe.
In his address, the Principal of the College congratulated the Matriculants for being among the few privileged to gain admission into the prestigious Methodist College considering the limited vacancies available. He indicated that the College received 932 qualified applicants (483 Males & 449 Females) who had to compete for a limited vacancy of 215.
ADMISSIONS, PROGRAMMES, AND STUDENTS’ STATISTICS
The College matriculated 215 student-teachers: 99 in Primary Education and 116 in JHS Education, out of which 108 are males and 107 are females. This year’s admissions had seen a great improvement in the male-to-female ratio of 50.24% to 49.76% as compared to last year’s ratio of 59.1% to 40.8%. This indicates that the College had been consistent in fulfilling its policies on gender responsiveness to achieving a 50% to 50% male-to-female ratio.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AND TERTIARY EDUCATION DISCIPLINE
The Principal of the College, Very Rev. Solomon Kwame Gyamerah mentioned that METCOE is a faith-based College, and the College takes pride in nurturing student teachers to achieve academic excellence as well as inculcating into them high moral values that focus on character development. He entreated the students to make good use of the available well-defined College structures and systems to nurture their growth and development in all facets to become academically competent and morally upright 21st-century professional teachers imbued with the required pedagogical competencies to be of service to the nation and the world at large.
Rev. Gyamerah mentioned that METCOE like many other tertiary institutions undoubtedly is a place where students have freedom and they are independent but they should note that such freedom often comes with some obligations and boundaries which usually translate to instilling into student teachers the core values of the College. Thus, though there is freedom, it must be guided by the rules and regulations as enshrined in the Students Handbook and embedded in the policies and religious and social activities of the College. Consequently, all students were expected to fully participate in all approved activities of the College which include academic and extracurricular activities such as religious devotions and divine services, entertainment, and games. The basic principle of this guided freedom is geared towards the holistic development of the student teacher at METCOE.
He assured the matriculants that the College was ready to support them to succeed despite several challenges faced by such a young but very promising College in the East. He noted that the College was privileged to have a working team of very energetic and competent staff members, experienced academic counsellors, and efficient guidance and counselling unit that are all prepared to provide students with the necessary assistance for them to achieve academic excellence and be well-disciplined.
The Principal worthily noted the recent report from the assessment of the Fidelity of Implementation (FOI) conducted the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) on the 4-Year Bachelor of Education Curriculum in all the forty-six (46) Public Colleges of Education in Ghana which ranked the Methodist College among the seven (7) high-performing public Colleges of Education in Ghana and as published by the Teacher Education Journal, METCOE was ranked as the 5th out of 7 and that is no mean achievement.
The ranked achievement implied that in all four components of the B.ED curriculum (Teaching and Learning of Student teachers, Assessment of Student teachers, Student’s preparation for and experience of Supported Teaching in Schools, and Tutor’s Professional Development) assessed, METCOE demonstrated to the whole nation, particularly our policymakers, regulators, and stakeholders (MoE, GTEC, T-TEL) that it had the vibrant, spirit-filled and spirit-led, competent and hardworking staff and students who are determined to excel with the limited resources at their disposal.
COMMENDATION
Rev. Gyamerah acknowledged the government of Ghana which through the Ministry of Education for its continuous support and commitment to the Colleges of Education to fully attain their tertiary status. The support which has been, to mention but a few, in the payment of the staff’s book and research allowances, the GETFund infrastructural support (Hostels/furniture/ICT pieces of equipment), and then the construction of a 300-bed hostel for students, which in the College is about 20% ahead of all other Colleges.
He again expressed appreciation to all staff members for their unflinching support and co-operation since he assumed office as Principal of the College and attributed all corporate achievements to such support and collaboration. Apart from being ranked as one of the best seven high-performing public Colleges in Ghana per the FOI, the support of the staff has also culminated in a recent special award conferred by the Member of Parliament, Mr. Alexander Akwasi Acquah, on the Principal in recognition as one of the outstanding servant leaders in public service within the Akim Oda Constituency. He dedicated the plaque to the Management, Convocation, and the entire staff of the College.
The Methodist Church Ghana, beginning from the Society, St Luke Cathedral, then the Akim Oda Diocese, and the Connexion, he said also deserved the College’s appreciation for their continuous support since its establishment.
APPEAL
The Principal took the opportunity to appeal to all stakeholders (MOE, GTEC, PRINCOF, CETAG, CENTSAG, FWSC, National Labour Commission) involved in finding lasting solutions to the issues bothering the Conditions of Service and welfare of Staff of the Colleges to expedite the process to find an amicable solution to avoid a repetition of the disruption in the academic calendar caused by industrial strikes.
He further went on to appeal to the government of Ghana and all well-meaning Ghanaians to assist the College to secure a 60-seater bus to facilitate the STS programme for the College. This would go a long way to relieve College of the huge burden and expenses incurred during STS.
By: Ms Amy Agyapomaa (College Secretary)
Mr Potencial Mark Gborsongu (Assistant Secretary – HR)
