The OLA College of Education in Cape Coast has marked its centenary anniversary with a call for the celebration and recognition of the teaching profession for the immense role it has played in shaping the human resources of the nation.

The wife of the Vice-President, Samira Bawumia, in her address at the durbar to mark the celebration, said teachers remained critical to the development of human resources on which the development of the country was anchored.

Mrs Bawumia said it was, therefore, necessary that the nation ensured that teachers' rewards were not only in heaven but here on earth. The celebration was on the theme: "100 years of teacher training, retrospection and prospects”.

The durbar attracted several dignitaries, including academia, leaders of the Catholic Church, as well as past students of OLA.

Critical role

Mrs Bawumia said the government's recognition of the critical role of teachers informed the reintroduction of the teacher trainee allowance. She emphasised that teacher education had been the cornerstone of any quality educational system, adding that it shaped the future of society by nurturing the minds of tomorrow's leaders, thinkers and innovators.

She further observed that calls for a more holistic education were crucial as it went beyond imparting knowledge to fostering critical thinking, creativity and resilience in students. The wife of the Vice-President described OLA's years as a legacy of excellence, dedication and service, shaping minds, nurturing hearts and empowering generations.

She acknowledged the role of the Catholic Church in education and all who had worked to make the college one of the prestigious female colleges of education in the country and urged the college to keep up the effort.

Partnerships

The former Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Prof. Dora Edu-Buandoh, who was the guest speaker, called for collaboration with local and international development partners to exchange knowledge and expertise for best practices towards excellence.

She said while it was important for regulators to review the teacher education curriculum to ensure it was relevant, comprehensive and aligned with current educational trends, the shift was now towards collaborative learning.

She also called for flexibility for colleges of education to allow them to develop courses to help them acquire knowledge and skills towards course development as they prepare to become university colleges.

Prof. Edu-Buandoh said while there remained challenges, teacher education in Ghana held great prospects for enhanced quality and effectiveness of teacher education in the country.

She said through curriculum reforms, professional and infrastructure development, partnerships and effective policy and governance structures, the teacher education system could be improved to ensure teachers were equipped to contribute to the development of a vibrant and inclusive educational system.

The Catholic Church, collaboration

Cardinal Peter Appiah Turkson, the Archbishop of Cape Coast, Most Rev. Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle and Archbishop Emeritus Mathias Kobina Nketsiah all acknowledged the role of the Catholic Church in the provision of quality education across the country, saying the church would continue to collaborate to develop the hearts and minds of Ghanaians through quality education.

The Deputy Minister of Education, John Ntim Fordjour, said the excellence chalked up by the college was a testament to effective collaboration between the government and faith-based organisations and urged the college to pursue excellence to enhance the quality of teachers and education in general.

Commitment to excellence

The Board Chairman of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, Prof. Kwame Boafo-Arthur, congratulated the college on its unwavering commitment to excellence in teacher education.

The Principal of the college, Dr Regina Okyere-Dankwa, said the college was committed to its mission of nurturing and empowering female student teachers, equipping them with the requisite professional and academic proficiencies for effective teaching across pre-tertiary and non-formal education settings.

She called for solar energy infrastructure and impovement in the road network at the college.