<<Print>>

Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur at the weekend announced a comprehensive program of the Government to construct 200 community Senior High Schools (SHS), each with the capacity of 1000 students next year, to enhance access to secondary education. He said government recognized the need for qualitative and quantitative education to enhance the capacity of the work force to meet the demand of the 21st century. Vice President Amissah-Arthur said this at the 44th Congregation of the University of Cape Coast, at which about 5000 graduates including 1048 post graduates were awarded their Bachelor and Post Graduate Degrees. The Vice President, who has on the last three days been in the Western Region, is taking part in the congregation for the first time since his inauguration. He commended the university for imparting knowledge, adding that, an excellent work force inspired by outstanding teachers were needed for future generations. The Vice President also commended the UCC for expanding its academic programs through Sandwich and Distance Education programs and urged the graduates to be prepared to meet the demands of the national economy. He said education is a key pillar of the Better Ghana program under which the ruling government was building a strong and resilient economy, investing in people and running an open, honest, and accountable government. He expressed government's commitment to building a solid educational infrastructure and improving the quality of work force to achieve national, economic and social goals. Consequently, government had already eliminated about 4,300 'schools under trees', with the construction of more classrooms at the basic level and in the process of getting rid of the shift system countrywide. Schools in Accra are no longer running the shift system. About 40,000 out of 60,000 targeted laptops had also been distributed to pupils and students. Vice President Amissah-Arthur enumerated some of the problems the education sector faces, like lack of enough teaching and learning materials and poor remuneration for teachers, and assured Ghanaians of government's commitment to improve on these to enhance quality education. On university education, the Vice President said there were plans to establish a regional university in the Eastern Region, having already established two new universities in the Brong Ahafo Region and Volta Region under the Mills Administration. He said the construction of facilities at these new universities were underway and announced that there would be a Fisheries College soon to be established with the collaboration of the UCC at Anomabo in the Central Region. Vice President Amissah-Arthur said government was implementing the Single Spine Salary Structure for teachers to bring significant improvement in their income. He urged the graduates to apply the knowledge they had acquired wherever they found themselves around the globe so that they would be more useful. He paid tribute to parents, guardians and sponsors for their sacrifices and investments in their wards that had brought them that far. At the congregation, Professor Naana Jana Opoku Agyeman, out going Vice Chancellor, thanked the government and the university for the opportunity given her to serve and urged colleague retired professors and lecturers to make their knowledge and expertise available to schools and universities they may find themselves. Sir James Jonah, Chairman of the University Council, in an inspiring tone, urged the graduates to be motivated by challenges to reach excellent heights in the areas of knowledge. Honorary Degrees were conferred on past officials and deserving personalities that had given committed service to the university and contributed to the advancement of knowledge. Among them were Rev. Prof. Addo Obeng, former Vice Chancellor of the university. The Vice President later commissioned the Lecture Theatre Complex of the faculty of education of the university.