Archbishop Porter Girls wins NHIA quiz

The Archbishop Porter Girls Senior High School in Takoradi

The Archbishop Porter Girls Senior High School in Takoradi emerged winners of the southern zone quiz competition organised by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) in Koforidua.

The school beat its counterparts from the southern sector including Oyoko Methodist, Oti Boateng, Besease and Accra Academy Senior High Schools, which were respectively champions from the Eastern, Volta, Central and the Greater Accra Regions.

The winning school would represent the southern belt in the national and final quiz competition to be hosted by the prestigious ‘What do you know’ quiz master, Dan Afari Yeboah, of GTV.

The quiz competition was instituted by the NHIA in 2013 in commemoration of its 20th anniversary, to educate the youth at the SHS level on the importance of health insurance and its benefits in accessing quality healthcare.

Alhaji Samson Abudu Seidu, the Eastern Regional Director of the NHIA, commended Archbishop Porter Girls for rubbing shoulders with the all-male schools to win the competitions and expressed the hope that it would win in the finals.

He said the NHIA in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES) would develop a curricular on the Health Insurance for the SHS in Ghana to deepen the understanding of the Scheme.

Alhaji Seidu said subscribers needed to understand the concept of the NHIS, the disease conditions and medicines it covers and the various interventions being introduced in its operations for their own benefit and the sustenance of the Scheme in general.

GNA

'Beware of shady politicians'- Vice-Chancellor to students

Students of University for Development Studies (UDS)

Professor Gabriel Ayum Teye, Vice-Chancellor of the University for Development Studies (UDS) has advised students to guard against potential manipulations by politicians for their selfish interest during the elections.

He, therefore, advised students to conduct themselves well, whiles on campus and take advantage of all opportunities available to them.

He warned that those who disregarded the University’s regulations would not be spared.

Professor Teye gave the advice, in a speech read on his behalf, at UDS’ 24th Matriculation at its Nyankpala Campus, near Tamale.

In all, a total 6,897 students were offered admission for the 2016/2017 Academic Year to pursue various degree and diploma programmes at UDS’ four campuses, but only 3,136 registered for the courses.

The campuses are at Tamale, Nyankpala, Navrongo and Wa

Professor Teye advised students to set their priorities right to better plan their future because there was no better time than now.

He said the University’s mandate was to train and equip students with the requisite skills for the world of work to help promote the growth and development of country and the world at large.

He, therefore, urged them to study hard to realise their dreams.

GNA

Zero tolerance for teacher absenteeism yields positive result

Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang

 The Zero Tolerance for Teacher Absenteeism policy adopted by the Ministry of Education to enhance accountability, and increase teacher presence as well as time on desk in schools has yielded positive results.

After three years of its implementation, the rate of teacher absenteeism has declined from 27 per cent in 2012 to seven per cent in 2016.

Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Minister of Education, who announced this in Accra said, the Ministry would continue to champion the course until the rate of teacher absenteeism is brought to zero.

She said after she and her team had initiated surprise visits to countless schools throughout the country first hand, the National Inspectorate Board and the Ghana Education Service were resourced to intensify both external and internal monitoring in basic schools, among many other functions.

She, therefore, commended various stakeholders including teachers, the teacher unions, traditional authorities, district education officers, and the parents who supported the Ministry to achieve the result.

“I wish to thank everyone for their cooperation which has helped improve the image of our cherished profession,” she added.

On In-Service Education and Training Programme, the Minister said, in the four-year period, a total of 12, 085 Mathematics and 2387 Science teachers across the country were trained.

Prof Opoku-Agyemang said in addition, 5,626 non-core subject teachers and 5,923 Heads from Public Basic Schools in the 75 deprived districts and low-performing schools (public and private) also received training as well in the ensuring year.

“In our effort to accelerate ICT education at the basic education level, 81,000 basic school teachers have been trained since 2013 to enable them acquire the requisite skills in the use of ICT to facilitate teaching and learning.

“A total number of 54,500 Laptops were procured and distributed to basic school teachers, and 60,000 laptop computers were distributed to public basic schools across the country,” she said.

The Minister said in order to strengthen governance of educational institutions to improve efficiency of education service delivery, the Ministry had over the past two years embarked on a process to review the legal and regulatory framework of some of its agencies.

To date, three bills, namely, Technical University Act, 2016 (Act 992); University of Environment and Sustainable Development Act, 2015 (Act 898), and Chartered Institute of Taxation Act, 2016 (Act 916) have been passed into Acts of parliament and accented by the President.

Prof Opoku-Agyemang announced that Tertiary Education Research Fund Bill had also been approved by Cabinet and is currently before Parliament for Consideration while Ghana Book Development Council Bill was currently at the Attorney General’s Department.

GNA

UDS' Medical Programme reduces to six years

Professor Gabriel Ayum Teye, the Vice Chancellor of University for Development Studies (UDS) has announced that the duration of the University’s Medical Programme has been reduced from seven to six years.

He said the new tenure, which takes effect this academic year, was a decision by the Academic Board of UDS to enable the School of Medicine and Health Sciences run a conventional medical programme as was done in other Medical Schools in other countries.



The Vice Chancellor announced this at the 24th Matriculation at UDS Nyankpala Campus in the Northern Region.

In a speech read on his behalf, Professor Ayum Teye said the development had reduced the number of students admitted for this year academic to the number, which could just to join their colleagues in the Second Year of the Medical Programme.

However, this automatically increases the total number of students, he said.

He stated that the University had also admitted 6,897 qualified applicants into various degree and diploma programmes this year.

He said only 3,136 applicants had registered and they had been reported to the various faculties.

The Tamale Campus admitted 935 applicants, Nyankpala Campus - 305, Navrongo Campus - 344 and the Wa Campus - 1,552 applicants.

He urged the fresh students to learn very hard to achieve their aims.

He also advised the students to steer away from the operations of the politicians so that they would not be used violence acts during and after the general election.

GNA

UDS cuts period for medical programme

Professor Gabriel Ayum Teye, Vice-Chancellor of the University for Development Studies (UDS)

Professor Gabriel Ayum Teye, Vice-Chancellor of the University for Development Studies (UDS) has announced that the duration of the university’s medical programme has been reduced from seven to six years.

He said the new time frame, which takes effect this academic year, was a decision by the Academic Board of UDS to enable the School of Medicine and Health Sciences run a conventional medical programme as was done in other medical schools in other countries.


The vice-chancellor announced this at the university’s 24th matriculation at the UDS Nyankpala Campus in the Northern Region.

Professor Ayum Teye, in a speech read on his behalf, said the reduction of the years has led to an increase in enrolment.

He stated that the university had also admitted 6,897 qualified applicants into various degree and diploma programmes this year.

Out of the number, he said the Tamale Campus admitted 935 applicants, while Nyankpala Campus had 305, with Navrongo and Wa Campuses admitting 344 and 1,552 applicants respectively.

UPSA appeals to ｇovt for more staff

Professor Joshua Alabi, outgoing vice-chancellor of the University of Professional Studies, Accra

Professor Joshua Alabi, outgoing vice-chancellor of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), has appealed to the government for a clearance to recruit more administrative staff to meet the demands of the fast expanding university.

Prof. Alabi made the appeal at the university’s 2016/2017 academic year matriculation in Accra on Saturday during which 3,216 students were admitted into the university.

The figure represents 46.25 per cent of the 6,954 applications received by the University.

Prof. Alabi said the student population had increased over the past years, as a result of the growing demand for university education.

“This has led to the need to recruit more lecturers,” he stated.

He, therefore, lauded the government for granting the UPSA the clearance to recruit 118 additional lecturers to augment its academic staff strength.

He said two new programmes – Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and Bachelor of Science Actuarial Science – had been added to the University’s programmes portfolio this academic year.

He stated that other programmes such as the doctorate courses in leadership and marketing were awaiting accreditation from the National Accreditation Board.

The vice-chancellor announced that the UPSA Council had given approval for the acquisition of 100 plots of land at Oyibi, near Accra, for the construction of staff bungalows.

“This initiative is within the context of management’s desire to motivate staff of the university, who have worked very hard over the past years to improve conditions at the university, and also to continue to give of their best,” he said.

He said work had also started on the construction of a students’ centre, which when completed, would house shops, food courts and meeting rooms.

Prof. Alabi commended the students and staff for their impressive support during his tenure as a vice-chancellor, and urged them to do same for his successor.

To the matriculants, the vice-chancellor admonished them to be focused on their education and work to achieve academinc excellence.

He advised them to develop their creative abilities, aim high and diligently pursue their aspirations.

Give back to your schools —- Old students challenged

Old students must build a culture of relationship with their institutions to support and enhance the institution’s ability to train and educate new students.

According to Joe K. Mensah, Vice President and Country Manager, Kosmos Energy, such a relationship was necessary to encourage the act of giving back by individuals to their alma maters to promote quality education.

Mr. Mensah made these remarks at the 1st graduation and 4th matriculation ceremony of Palm Institute of Strategic Leadership in Accra.

The event saw 19 students graduate with diploma in Business Administration, Banking Technology and Accounting and Computerised Accounting while 18 students were matriculated.

Mr. Mensah urged the graduands to strive to become agents of change with a commitment to affect the lives of people in their societies and advised them to remain tenacious in the face of challenges that would arise in their determination to achieve their aims.

Mr. Mensah asked them to guard against ‘anxiety after school’ that could distort their determination to succeed.

Delivering on the state of the institute, Peter Carlos Okantey, Founder, said the institute had received the approval to run two more diploma programmes, Agribusiness and Finance and Procurement and Materials Management, in addition to the three diploma programmes currently run by the school.

He said the institute was focused on training students strategically for the Ghanaian and African industries.

Ms. Linda Bortey, in her valedictory message expressed gratitude to the management for dedicating their time and other resources to tutor them and helping them to acquire the requisite skill to better their lives.

She pledged the graduands determination to be worthy ambassadors of the institute and use their potentials to contribute positively to the development of the country.



By Claude Nyarko Adams