• Newsletter of the National Council for Tertiary Education

© NCTE 2016

ISSN 20266928

 

In this Issue

 

?   Decisions at the 2016/02 Meeting of Council

?   Transforming Teacher Education and Learning

?   New Councils for Colleges of Education

?   Senior Academic Leadership Training Programme

?   List of Accredited Tertiary Education Institutions

DECISIONS AT THE 2016/02 MEETING OF COUNCIL

Approved Programmes

The following proposals from the Public Tertiary Institutions met the NCTE requirements for introducing new programmes and were accordingly approved by Council subject to accreditation by the National Accreditation Board:

 

University of Cape Coast

·       MSc/MCom    Procurement    and Supply Management

·      MSc/MCom      Innovation      and Technology Management

·       BCom        Human        Resource Management

·       BCom Marketing

·       MPhil/PhD African Studies

·       MPhil/PhD International Studies

 University of Mines and Technology

·       MSc Engineering Management

·       Master of Business Technology

·       BSc Renewable Energy Engineering

 University of Ghana

·   MSc Accounting and Finance

            ·   MSc Public Health Monitoring and

           ·   Evaluation

             ·   MSc Geoformation Science

 University of Professional Studies

         ·   BSc Actuarial Science

         ·   BSc Accounting and Finance

         ·   BSc Business Economics

         ·   MPhil Finance

 University for Development Studies

          ·   MSc       Community       Disaster Resilience Studies

          ·   BEd French

         ·   BEd Social Studies

 Deferred Programmes Council did not approve the

under listed programmes. The institutions were

advised to revise and re- submit    the    

proposals    for    re- consideration if they so desired.

The deferred programmes were:

 

University of Cape Coast

·       MPhil Immunity and Infection

·       MPhil/PhD Drug Discovery and

·       Toxicology

 

University of Ghana

·       ·   MSc Financial Risk Management

·       ·   MPhil Sustainability Science

·       ·   MPhil Environmental Sanitation

University of Health and Allied Sciences

·       Bachelor of Public Health (Mental Health)

·       Bachelor     of     Public     Health (Nursing)

 

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

·       MPhil Business and Management

·       PhD Business and Management

·       PhD Organisational Leadership

·       Doctor of Business Administration

 

University of Education, Winneba

·       MSc         Environmental         and Organisational Health

 University of Energy and Natural Resources

·       MSc/MPhil/PhD Sustainable Energy Management

·       MSc/MPhil/PhD       Environmental Engineering Management

·       MSc/MPhil/PhD    Social    Forestry and Environmental Governance

·       MSc/MPhil/PhD Applied Statistics

 University for Development Studies

·       BSc Fisheries and Aquaculture

·       MPhil Fisheries

·       BSc Pediatric Nursing

·       MSc    Risks    Management    and Insurance

·       MSc Development Finance

·       MEd/MPhil       Social       Science Education

·       MEd/MPhil Business Education

·       MEd/MPhil       Guidance       and Counselling

·       MEd/MPhil Special Education

·       MEd/MPhil                 Educational

·       Measurement and Evaluation

·       BEd    Family    and    Consumer Science

·       MEd/MPhil/PhD                Applied Microbiology

 

Introduction of New HND Programmes

Council decided that the Conference of Rectors of Polytechnics (PRINCOF) should write to the NCTE for directives on the continuous introduction of new Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes. Approval for straight Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) programmes   will   await   the   of passage of the Technical Universities Bill.

 

Re-Assessment of Cape Coast and Tamale Polytechnics for Conversion into Technical Universities

In line with the roadmap for the conversion of Polytechnics to Technical Universities, the National Council for Tertiary (NCTE), constituted four (4) Expert Panels who visited the ten (10) Polytechnics to assess their preparedness for conversion based on    agreed    criteria    and    made appropriate recommendations in July 2015.  The  Polytechnics which  met the criteria were accordingly recommended for the first phase of the conversion. It was agreed that the Polytechnics that did not meet the  criteria  for  conversion  in  the first phase could apply to the NCTE for re-assessment at a later date if they reckoned that they had made significant improvements.

On  the  basis  of  the  above,  Cape Coast   and  Tamale   Polytechnics which did not meet the criteria for conversion applied to the NCTE and the Ministry of Education (MoE) indicating their readiness for re- assessment. The NCTE constituted a six (6) member Expert Panel to re- assess the two Polytechnics in April

2016. The final report of the NCTE Technical Committee on the issue has since been submitted to the Minister of Education.

 STATUS REPORT ON COLLEGES OF EDUCATION

Re-Designation of Staff In a letter dated 10th May, 2016, addressed to the Hon. Minister of Education, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) gave approval for the

migration  of  staff  from the  Ghana Education Service (GES) Payroll to the Colleges of Education Payroll to take  effect  subject  to  approval  by the Auditor General and subsequent placement  of  staff  onto  the  Single Spine   Salary   Structure   by   the Controller        and        Accountant General’s  Department.  Meanwhile, the  migration  of  staff  has  been completed, and transitional arrangements have been developed for staff who could not be migrated such as the watchmen and kitchen staff.

Substantive Councils for

Colleges of Education

The Hon. Minister of Education on the 24th of May, 2016, inaugurated

 

Councils of the remaining Seven Colleges of Education. The Colleges are:

·       Akatsi College of Education

·       Jasikan College of Education

·                  ·    Kibi    Presbyterian    College    of Education

·       Abetifi College of Education

·                 ·  Presbyterian Women’s College ofEducation

·       Wiawso College of Education

·                 ·   Enchi Colleges of Education

 

Absorption of Private Colleges of Education

National Council for Tertiary Education and National Accreditation Board are taking the necessary steps to ensure the absorption of five (5) private Colleges of Education as public institutions. These are:

1. Bia    Lamplighter    College    of

Education, Bia, W/R

2. Gambaga College of Education, Gambaga, N/R

3. St.      Ambrose      College      of

Education, Dormaa Akwamu, BA/R

4. AL Farouk College of Education,

Wenchi, BA/R

5. St. Vincent College of Education, Yendi, N/R

 

Gambaga and St. Ambrose Colleges of Education have since been fully absorbed as part of the public Colleges of Education after meeting all requirements.

 

The  NCTE  and  NAB  in  January,

2016 held a meeting with the Chairpersons, Principals and Finance Officers of the absorbed Colleges of Education. They were taken through steps expected of them as public tertiary institutions including a brief budget workshop on how to prepare their budgets. They have since submitted their budgets for 2016. NAB has also given them guidelines   for   accreditation   (for those yet to receive accreditation).

 

The Infrastructure Committee of Council would soon meet and plan periodic visits to all the Colleges of Education (CoE) to assess the state of their infrastructural facilities and the interventions required. As the CoE are affiliated to the

University of Cape Coast (UCC), the UCC would participate in the work of the Committee.

 

Key Transitional Issues

Due to the transition from the GES

to the NCTE, a number  of issues arise regularly that need attention. One of the issues is the recruitment and  replacement  of staff.  For Colleges who have their substantive council’s  in  place,  the  process  for the  selection  and  recommendation of   a   candidate   for   a   particular position is done by the governing council as required. Terms and conditions   of   such   appointments need to be clarified from the Public Services Commission and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission.

 

Delivery of Buses and

Pick-up Trucks

All public Colleges of Education, including the five (5) newly absorbed ones were on 14 June 2016, issued   with   brand   new   pick-up trucks and 33-seater buses each by the Ministry of Education.

TRANSFORMING TEACHER EDUCATION AND LEARNING (T-TEL)

Transforming Teacher Education and Learning in Ghana (T-TEL), is a four- year Programme to support the implementation of the new policy framework for Pre-Tertiary Teacher Professional Development and Management in Ghana. The project, which started in November 2014, is funded by the UK Department for International  Development  (DFID) as part of its Girls Participatory Approaches to Students Success (GPASS)  Programme.  T-TEL  seeks to transform the delivery of pre- service teacher education in Ghana by improving the quality of teaching and learning through support to relevant national bodies and institutions and all 38 Colleges of Education.   This   programme   is being managed by Cambridge Education. Elements of the programme include:

 

•Training and coaching for tutors in Mathematics, English and Science, and         eventually    some    generic materials for all tutors

•Support to the management of Colleges and training of College Principals

•Support to reform of the pre- service curriculum

•Support to the development of more effective student practicums

Two committees – a Steering Committee  and  a Technical Advisory Committee have been constituted to provide overall strategic direction and technical oversight respectively.

 

Between January and June 2016, T- TEL has initiated or continues to initiate the following activities to assist the Colleges of Education:

·       Developed a College Improvement

Plan for the Colleges

·       Built  on  the  roadmap  initially developed by NCTE to guide the transition of the Colleges from the GES to tertiary status and carried out college specific roadmaps to ensure a strengthened tertiary institution.

·       Initiated the development  of  a Colleges of Education Management Information System (CEMIS) after an initial proposal by NCTE was sent.

·       Have in consultation with the National Teaching Council and the NCTE developed       National Teaching Standards.

·       Have hosted two (2) stakeholder conferences at NCTE on the review of the Diploma in Basic Education Curriculum currently being run   in   the   Colleges   of Education.

· Developed    a    draft    Quality Assurance Toolkit and self- assessment document to be used by the Colleges after pilot runs.

·  Colleges who have been able to demonstrate  an  appreciable  level of  innovation  in  how  they  do things         have   been   given   more access to the Payment by Results Fund.

·       Reviewing     applications     from Colleges who applied for the Challenge Fund which is a bursary available to the Colleges.

·       Initiated preparations towards the training  of  Council  Members  of the Colleges of Education.

The NCTE, with sponsorship from the Carnegie Corporation in New York started organizing the Senior Academic  Leadership Training (SALT) programme for Council Members of Universities in 2012.

The  key  objectives of  the programme were to equip the Council Members with the tools and skills to enable them better understand  and interpret institutional   accounts   and   audits; train Council Members in terms of their legal, administrative, oversight, fiduciary, strategic and generative roles  and  responsibilities;  and  to take  Council  Members  through  a self-review exercise to enable them to evaluate their performance. Between January and June 2016, the following SALT activities were undertaken:

·       123 Council Members have been trained

·  Trained Council members were from    12    Institutions    namely:

Methodist University  College, Zenith University

College, Wisconsin International University College,

Ghana Institute of Management and Public

Administration, Data Link Institute, Ghana   

Technology     University

College, KAAF University College,

University of Health and Allied Sciences, Knutsford University College, Bluecrest University College, Heritage Christian College, Valley View University, Catholic University College, Anglican University College, University of Energy and Natural Resources, and West End University College.

30 Council Members from 5 institutions are expected to be trained between June 28 and July 1,

2016. They were drawn from councils of University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS), Knutsford, Mountcrest, Bluecrest and Heritage Christian Colleges.