In the absence of an auditorium, the E.P. College of Education, Amedzofe (AMECO), in the Ho West District of the Volta Region, now holds formal functions for students in the open, under cruel and frigid temperatures.
Amedzofe, the highest human settlement in Ghana, is known for its extremely cold weather with temperatures sometimes falling to as low as 10 degrees Celsius.
The 79-year-old college’s 200-capacity assembly hall, which was built decades ago, cannot hold the current enrolment of 1,054. AMECO was established on February 10, 1946.
The Principal, Dr Dickson Tsey, has, therefore, renewed his appeal to the government and all well-meaning stakeholders to help construct a modern auditorium for AMECO.
He said at the 18th matriculation ceremony of the college last Friday that the lack of an auditorium directly affected the quality of learning, as well as the well-being of the students and staff.
Worship, as well as cultural and some academic activities, take place in the open, at the mercy of the weather, the principal stated.
Stalled hostel
Meanwhile, Dr Tsey said, the four-storey GETFund female hostel project on the campus is still at the foundation level, with no interested contractor coming forward to help complete the project.
A section of the fresh students taking the matriculation oath
“We, therefore, seek the assistance of lovers of AMECO in government and other public-spirited individuals to help complete this project,” he added.
Furthermore, the principal cited the deteriorating road network of AMECO, which he said made access to the college very challenging for many.
“This has become an albatross on the neck of management, and we surely need the help of our stakeholders to address this challenge,” he further appealed.
Dr Tsey said there was also the need for more male hostels to provide safe and comfortable accommodation for the students.
He said the construction of more accommodations for the staff and additional office space for the administrative personnel would foster an environment where excellence would flourish.
For this year, the college admitted a total of 315 students.
Among them were 143 offering B.Ed JHS Education, including 64 females; 128 for B.Ed Primary Education, including 70 females, and 44 B.Ed offering Early Education, including 31 females.
Dr Tsey emphasised that 32 applicants were admitted for B.Ed Basic Education (French Specialism).
He said the college continued with its strategy of giving the opportunity of tertiary education to women through the Affirmative Action Policy/Gender Inclusive Policy, as well as applicants from less endowed schools on a concessionary basis.
“This is clearly manifested in the statistics above, where the female students admitted outweigh their male counterparts,” he explained.
Sports
Meanwhile, the principal said the college, again, as part of the admission procedures, offered admission to talented sportsmen and women based on their sporting abilities.
In that vein, he said the students must also satisfy the minimum general entry requirements of the college, and show proof of athletic ability, a requirement geared towards providing opportunities to every student to realise his or her God-given potential and project the college during sporting competitions.
Dr Tsey entreated the fresh students to be resilient and courageous, saying the admission was just the beginning of a beautiful path in their lives to success.
The Member of Parliament for Afram Plains, Worlase Kpeli, a product of AMECO and a special guest at the event, entreated the fresh students to cherish the teaching career as the gateway to many rewarding opportunities, as it provided the platform to enter other lucrative professions as well.