The Institute of Education (IoE) in collaboration with the Transforming Teacher Education and Learning (T-TEL) has organised a workshop for Coordinators of Supported Teaching in the various Colleges of Education in Ghana on “Field Experience in Schools”.

The training was to equip the coordinators to effectively supervise teacher-trainees in the Colleges for field activities previously known as teaching practice. From the 2018/2019 academic year, Colleges of Education would begin a four-year Bachelor of Basic Education programme, hence the need to expose the coordinators to the new curriculum as far as field experience was concerned.

In his opening address, the Director of IoE, Prof. Frederick Ocansey whose speech was read by Prof.  Christine Adu-Yeboah, said the workshop was the fourth in a series that have been outlined by the Institute to ensure a smooth implementation of the eight-semester B.Ed. Programme. She noted that for the past four years, the Institute has been part of the transformation that were occurring in teacher education adding that “One of which is the new 4-year B.Ed curriculum.

Prof. Ocansey explained that “the four-year programme has some unique features, which include the national curriculum framework and the national teaching standards that informed its formulation, as well as the new phase of supported teaching which is to be conducted every semester”.  He called on participants to keep an open mind about the opportunities available in order to be abreast of the changes taking place. He said this would enable their colleagues and students understand and commit themselves to the new ways of training teachers in the country.

The Chief Technical Advisor to the Ministry of Education on Teacher Education in Ghana, Mr. Akwasi Addae-Boahene, said T-TEL would support the Colleges to fully implement the new changes in teacher education.  He said T-TEL would fund internal capacity systems to allow them to function effectively to become University Colleges.

In addition, Mr. Addae-Boahene, indicated that T-TEL would provide financial assistance to regulatory bodies like the National Accreditation Board (NAB), National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE), and the National Teaching Council (NTC) to implement appropriate policies for the realisation of the new developments in the education sector. Other institutions to benefit from funding include mentoring Universities of the Colleges and District Education Directorates.

The Provost of the College of Education, Prof. Eric Magnus Wilmot, took participants through the curriculum of the four-year B.ED programme and how field experience would be carried out.