Rev. Prof. Afful-Broni, Acting Vice Chancellor (VC) of the University of Education , Winnebago (UEW), has revealed that designs have been completed and contracts are about to be awarded for the construction of 8 pavilions, each with 550 seat capacity, all in anticipation of the arrival of the first batch of the free SHS students.
According to the VC, the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), is putting structures in place to be able to absorb the huge number of applicants who wiould seek admission to their various programmes during the 2020 academic year when the first batch of the free SHS will be due to enter University.
Rev. Prof. Afful-Broni during an interaction with traditional leaders and the people of Effutu in the Central Region over the weekend.
According to him, the University is solidly behind government’s Double Track system hence all preparations are being made to ensure that the University is able to admit students.
He said: “To show our strong commitment to the government’s vision of providing expanded access to high tertiary education through the Free SHS policy, this University has taken practical steps to absorb the huge number of applicants that will seek admission to our various programmes during the 2020 academic year when the first batch of the free SHS will be due to enter University.”
“We are increasing and expanding Wi-Fi access to ease research, teaching and learning, we are bringing on board more resources and more lecturers are being employed to meet the numbers,” he said.
He explained that this would prevent students from truncating their pursuit of High School education just because of the unavailability of space.
The Acting VC commended government for introducing the double track system. According to him, the double track system is an internationally acclaimed system that breeds quality and ensures equity.
Rev. Prof. Anthony Afful-Broni however commended government for taking what he calls the boldest decision in the country’s educational sector with the introduction of the free SHS policy and its accompanying Double Track system, stressing that the policy has great potential in providing a strong cornerstone for development.
He therefore called on all to support the policy to minimize implementation difficulties.
He averred that “We must emphasize that free SHS is the boldest and best educational policy initiatives that our nation has seen. This is because this policy has great potential in providing a strong cornerstone for development; we must all lend our unflinching support and commitment to the government to ensure its huge success.”
According to him if Ghanaians always want to count the cost of education and set aside such needed and useful policies as are being rolled out by the government, “we will end up cultivating and harvesting ignorant citizens,” he said.
Rev. Prof. Anthony Afful-Broni mentioned that “No country can lift its indigenes from ignorance, powerlessness and poverty by side-stepping access to high school and tertiary education. With Free SHS and the Double Track initiatives, Effutuman has no excuse keeping JHS graduates at home or on the streets. We need to engage in various campaign to increase Effutu kid enrolment in SHS.”
“We at UEW are happy that government has again come up with another initiative, the SHS double-track system to salvage the situation. The double track system is acknowledged, internationally, as useful educational policy that ensures an equitable distribution of access to high school and tertiary education to everyone,” he averred.
He also indicated that the University is ready to collaborate with the people of Effutu to provide their children with opportunities and also creating employment opportunities for well qualified applicants who are indigenes of Effutu to work in the University.
According to him, UEW shares collective responsibility with Effutuman to make sure that her sons and daughters take advantage of the current government’s free SHS policy to ensure that as many children as possible get access to high school education.”
Rev. Prof. Afful-Broni said the University of Education was committed to the cause of the Free SHS policy and announced plans by the University to absorb the first batch of the free SHS system. He posits the university prepared the grounds to expand their intake in 2020 to help absorb many of the free SHS graduates.
It could be recalled that the Akufo-Addo-government had come under a barrage of criticisms for its decision to implement the free Senior High School (SHS) policy.
However, President Akufo-Addo has given his backing to the controversial double track education system to be implemented in the Senior High School for the 2018-19 academic year
He insisted that the surest way of providing SHS education to students who but for Free SHS would have dropped out of school and at the same time resolve the congestion that came with the implementation of the policy in 2017.
Meanwhile, Rev. Prof. Afful-Broni entreated parents and guardian to take advantage of the programme and enroll their wards in school while adding that no community can lift its indigenes from ignorance, powerlessness, and poverty by side-stepping access to high school and tertiary education.
Rev Fr Anthony Afful-Broni pledged the University’s commitment to work with Efutuman as equal partners to help provide increased access to high school for their children, averring that “To assure our partners here of our commitment to this cause, I have charged the Dean of the Faculty of Educational Studies to initiate and lead a research that will track SHS preparation and admission intake for Effutuman kids over the next five years.”
The Acting V-C also revealed that the University has commissioned a research to track the SHS preparation and admission intake for Effutuman kids over the next five years.
“I have charged the Dean of the faculty of Education studies to initiate and lead a research that will track SHS preparation and admission intake for Effutuman kids over the next five years. Through the study, we hope to help both the Effutuman and the government to monitor and evaluate the Free SHS policy and its connected double-track system within the municipality.”
The Acting Vice-Chancellor Rev. Fr Prof, Anthony Afful-Broni, also commended the Member of Parliament (MP) for Effutu Constituency, Hon Alexander Afenyo-Markin, Omanhene Neenyi Ghartey VII, and MCE for Effufu Municipal Mr. John Bartholomew Ninson for the immense support given the University community.
According to him, “We have enjoyed a great deal of support from the Omanhene, Neenyi Ghartey VII, whom we are also privileged to have on our Governing Council. The MP Afenyo-Markin through his unwavering support has always proved that his interest in the growth and success of UEW is closely tied to the growth and success of Effutu and Ghana.”
He also recognized the efforts made by the MP, Hon Agenyo Markin to bring the people of Effutu together adding that, “It is so beautiful to see how this visit comprises a rainbow of the diverse indigenes and residents in the Effutu Municipality with every group that matters in this great place is represented right here within this delegation.”
He said: “This visit is exceptionally refreshing because it signifies the emergence of a new University Community relationship in which we progressively forge ahead as equal partners in development, equal stakeholders in providing education and training teachers for Ghana especially the indigenes and residents of Effutu.”
The Paramount Chief of the Effutu Traditional Area, Nenyi Ghartey VII thanked the University for their thoughts and programs arranged to serve the people of Effutu and described the University’s move to help the people as a remarkable one and one of the best things that has ever happened to the People of Effutu.
He called for a healthy partnership and peaceful co-existence between the University and the people of Effutu to bring peace and development at the university and the Effutu Traditional area.
Meanwhile, the MP for Efutu Constituency, Alex Kwamena Afenyo Markin expressed his delight at the healthy collaboration growing between the University and the people of Effutu amidst chanting Asafo songs to generate consensus from the gathering.
According to him “It is a dream comes true. We have been looking forward to seeing a thing like this. We pray for Strength and peace for the leadership of the University and the traditional authorities.”
Afenyo-Markin applauded the Vice Chancellor Broni and the University Authority for their foresight in ensuring that the indigenes are not left behind in education and pledged his continued support for the university and the community for the mutual benefit of all.
