THE UPGRADING OF TEACHER TRAINING INSTITUTIONS TO COLLEGES OF EDUCATION: ISSUES AND PROSPECTS Emmanuel Newman National College of Teacher Education, Ghana Abstract In year 2008, 38 publicly-owned Teacher Training Institutions (TTIs) that offered certificate programs to prepare teachers for basic schools in Ghana, were elevated to tertiary status and re- designated as Colleges of Education (COEs) to offer tertiary programmes. Since the elevation and re-designation of TTIs as Colleges of Education, the institutions have faced various challenges which threaten the consolidation of their status as tertiary institutions. These challenges which border on governance, regulation, management, autonomy of the Colleges among others, must be critically examined and addressed to enable the institutions to discharge their mandate effectively. This paper examines the challenges and prospects of Colleges of Education as they evolve into tertiary education institutions. Keywords: Colleges of Education Ghana, Teacher Training Institutions, Ghana Tertiary Education Introduction Education plays a crucial role in fostering self development as well as the development of human capital for national socio-economic development. Teacher education plays a crucial role in preparing individuals to facilitate the teaching and learning process in schools. In fact, the European Union (2012) determined that “within educational institutions, teaching professionals are the most important determinants of how learners will perform; and it is what teachers know, do and care about that matters.” Over the past forty years , teacher education in Ghana has undergone a number of modifications These modifications are a result of policy changes which are aimed at producing well trained teachers to meet the educational needs of the country at various times . These changes have resulted in the production of different cohort of teachers with different types of certificates (Anamuah-Mensah, 2006). Colleges of Education (formerly known as Teacher Training Institutes) initially offered 2-year Post-Middle Certificate “B” programs , followed by 4-year Post-Middle Certificate “A” and 2-year Post–Secondary Certificate “A” programs . The 2 The Upgrading of Teacher Training Institutions to Colleges of Education: Issues and Prospects _____________________________________________________________________________________ AJOTE Vol. 3, No. 2 (Summer 2013) 2-year program was later extended to a 3-year program, which ran alongside the 4-year certificate “A” programs until it was curtailed in the 1980s (Addo-Obeng, 2008). In the early 2000s, following a comprehensive review of the educational system in Ghana, the Government published a White Paper and declared that “all Teacher Training Colleges will be upgraded into diploma-awarding institutions and be affiliated to the education oriented universities” (Government of Ghana , 2004). In this regard, 38 Teacher Training Colleges operating at a level equivalent to level 4 of the International System of Classification of Education (ISCED 4) were re-designated as Colleges of Education (COE) to offer tertiary education in 2008. Prior to their elevation and re-designation as tertiary institutions, the then Teacher Training Institutions (TTIs) were under the Ghana Education Service (GES). This is the agency responsible for pre-tertiary education. The TTIs were directly supervised by the Teacher Education Division, one of the divisions of the Ghana Education Service. Thus funding, appointment of staff and determination of requirements to enroll in the institutions were the responsibilities of GES. However, the assessment and certification of the products of TTIs has been the responsibility of the Institute of Education of the University of Cape Coast. The Institute of Education has over the years collaborated with the Teacher Education Division to develop and constantly evaluate the curriculum of pre-university teacher education in Ghana (Opare, 2008). The Colleges of Education Act, Act 847 was passed to give legal backing to the new status of the institutions in 2012. The institutions have therefore been placed under the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE), being government agency responsible for the regulation of tertiary education institutions in Ghana. Since the re-designation of TTIs as COEs in 2008, the institutions have faced challenges regarding supervision, infrastructure, governance and autonomy. This article therefore examines the challenges faced by the Colleges of Education as they consolidate their new status as tertiary education institutions. Recommendations are also proffered to facilitate the strengthening of Colleges of Education as attractive options in tertiary education in Ghana. Research Questions The study was guided by the following research questions:  What are the issues affecting the autonomy of Colleges of Education?  What are the governance challenges facing Colleges of Education?  What is the state of human and material resources of Colleges of Education?  How could Colleges of Education be positioned to function effectively as tertiary education institutions? Methodology This work covered Colleges of Education and supervisory bodies of tertiary education institutions. Primary data were collected from seven Principals, a Vice-Principal of Colleges of Education and a senior staff of Teacher Education Division through in-depth open ended interviews. Secondary data was collected through analysis of books, articles, papers and documents available at the National Council for Tertiary Education and the National Accreditation Board as well as other sources. Qualitative methods were predominantly employed in the analysis of data. 3 Emmanuel Newman _____________________________________________________________________________________ AJOTE Vol. 3, No. 2 (Summer 2013) The concepts, teacher education, autonomy, non-university tertiary institutions, tertiary education institutions and governance of tertiary education institutions, are assessed in this section to provide the basis for examining the main issues in Colleges of Education. Post- secondary non-tertiary institutions are institutions that provide learning experiences that build on secondary education and prepare learners for the labor market as well as entry into tertiary institutions. Such category of institutions aim at equipping individuals with knowledge, skills and competencies lower than the level of complexity characteristic of tertiary education institutions (UNESCO, 2011). Post Secondary Non-Tertiary Institutions are classified as ISCED 4 institutions. Tertiary education institutions aim at learning at a high level of complexity and specialization than ISCED 4 institutions. Tertiary education institutions comprise institutions which are labeled as short-cycle tertiary, bachelor or equivalent, master or equivalent and doctoral or equivalent, respectively (UNESCO, 2011). Tertiary education builds on secondary education, providing learning activities in specialized fields of education (UNESCO, 2011). Non-university tertiary education institutions are career-focused institutions which prepare students for the world of work. They normally provide academic programs of shorter duration and concentrate on imparting practical skills required for specific occupational fields. These institutional types may be established to provide trained manpower to specific government ministry, department or agency. Colleges of Education are non-university tertiary education institutions and could be placed on level 5 of the International System of Classification Education. UNESCO (2011) states that, “ISCED 5 institutions are often designed to provide participants with professional knowledge, skills and competencies. Typically, they are practically-based, occupationally-specific and prepare students to enter the labour market. However, these programmes may also provide a pathway to other tertiary education programmes. Academic tertiary education programmes below the level of a Bachelor’s programme or equivalent.” Teacher education refers to the process of equipping individuals with knowledge, skills and attitudes required for teaching and developing children to become productive citizens. The Government of Ghana (2002) defines teacher education as “the type of education and training given to, and acquired by, an individual to make him or her academically and professionally proficient and competent as a teacher”. Anamuah-Mensah (2006) stress that teacher education is a complex, multi-faceted process, made up of initial teacher training, in-service training (or continuing education) and lifelong education. The Government of Ghana (2002) states that the objective of teacher education in Ghana is to train and develop the right type of teacher who is competent, committed and dedicated and such a teacher should be capable of:  Applying, extending and synthesizing various forms of knowledge;  Developing attitudes, values and dispositions that create a conducive environment for quality teaching and learning in schools;  Facilitating learning and motivating individual learners to fully realize their potential;  Adequately preparing the learner to participate fully in the national development effort (Government of Ghana, 2002). 4 The Upgrading of Teacher Training Institutions to Colleges of Education: Issues and Prospects _____________________________________________________________________________________ AJOTE Vol. 3, No. 2 (Summer 2013) Governance of higher education refers to the policies and processes by which tertiary education institutions are regulated. Balderston, (1995) states that governance is the distribution of authority and functions among the units within a larger entity, the modes of communication and control among them, and the conduct of relationships between the entity and the surrounding environment. Perellon (2001) states that the term governance is understood here as the structure(s) of legal authority ruling the higher education system as a whole and determining, in a greater or lesser extent, the role(s) of and the type(s) of relationships between different actors within the system .The governance process in tertiary education should strengthen the autonomy of the institutions concerned and ensure efficiency, accountability and effectiveness. Autonomy of tertiary education institutions refers to the authority of tertiary institution to determine and execute its goals - the self-government of an institution. Autonomy is the freedom and independence of an institution to make it own internal decisions, whatever its own decision-making processes are, with regard to academic affairs, faculty and student affairs, business affairs, and external relations (Ajayi, Gome, and Johnson1996). Autonomy relates to the freedom to select staff and students and to determine the conditions under which they remain in the university; the freedom to determine curriculum content and degree standards, and the freedom to allocate funds (within) the amounts available across different categories of expenditure (Ashby 1966, Van Vught 1993). Berdhal (1990), distinguishes between substantive autonomy and procedural autonomy as, substantive autonomy is the power of the university or college in its corporate form to determine its own goals and programs, while procedural autonomy, on the other hand is the power of the university or college in its corporate form to determine the means by which its goals and programs will be pursued. In Ghana, constitutional provisions obviate direct interference in the affairs of tertiary education institutions. Article 195(3) of the 1992 constitution of Ghana provides that “The power to appoint persons to hold or act in an office in a body of higher education, research or professional training shall vest in the Council or the governing body of that institution or body.” Additionally, the National Council for Tertiary Education was established by an Act of Parliament, Act 454 of 1993 to serve as a buffer between the government and the institutions to protect the institutions from outside control and the public against needless duplication and waste of public resources by the institutions (Effah and Mensah-Bonsu, 2001). Colleges of Education Act 2012, Act 847 In this work, the focus is on Colleges of Education. These are institutions devoted to the training of student-teachers to enable them to acquire the necessary professional and academic competencies for teaching in pre-tertiary institutions and non-formal education institutions (Government of Ghana, 2012). The Colleges of Education Act, 2012, Act 847 provides that a College of Education is to:  Train students to acquire the necessary professional and academic competencies for teaching in pre-tertiary institutions and non-formal education institutions;  Build the professional and academic capacities of serving teachers though regular continuing education; 5 Emmanuel Newman _____________________________________________________________________________________ AJOTE Vol. 3, No. 2 (Summer 2013)  Provide programs that will promote the effective teaching of science , mathematics , information and communication technology and other related subjects to meet the needs of contemporary society; and  Foster links with relevant institutions and the community in order to ensure the holistic training of teachers. Regarding the functions of Colleges of Education, the Colleges of Education Act, 2012 provide that a College of Education shall decide on the subjects to be taught based on their special relevance to the needs of the educational system of the country and for national development. Colleges of Education are also required to ensure that basic research and action research form an integral part of teacher education, among others. The Councils of Colleges of Education have the responsibility for approving the educational programs developed by their academic boards. This is in regards to the mandate of the college; and prescribing terms and conditions for admissions of persons selected for a course of study organized by the college (GOG, 2012). The Colleges of Education Act, 2012 has other relevant provisions. Indeed, the Act provides that the development of academic policies, regulation of courses, development of academic standards, the conduct of examinations and award of diplomas should be undertaken in consultation with an affiliated institution. Additionally, section 19 of the Colleges of Education Act, 2012 specifies that the development of statutes for the regulating the governance and management of the Colleges Education is subject to the approval of the Minister of Education. Assessment of Autonomy and Powers of Colleges of Education Autonomy of tertiary education institutions involves many dimensions. Ashby (1966), Van Vught (1993) and Ajayi et al. (1996) state that autonomous institution must be free to:  Select staff and students and to determine the conditions under which they remain in the institution (Ashby 1966, Van Vught 1993) ;  Determine curriculum content and degree standards;  Allocate funds (within) the amounts available across different categories of expenditure;  Determine its own research programs; and  Decide to whom to award its degrees (Ajayi et al., 1996). The aforementioned criteria provide useful basis for assessing the autonomy of Colleges of Education. The determination of subjects to be taught in Colleges of Education is not directly decided by the Colleges of Education. In spite of the mandate of councils of Colleges of Education regarding the approval of programmes as specified in the Colleges of Education Act, it seems that for practical purposes Colleges of Education on their own cannot determine their academic programs. The thirty eight Colleges of Education in Ghana have been grouped into four specialist areas – French, Mathematics and Science, Early Childhood Development and Technical Skills – to facilitate the training of teachers with various skill sets to meet the needs of basic schools. In this regard, the Councils of Colleges of Education cannot on their own be able to vary the 6 The Upgrading of Teacher Training Institutions to Colleges of Education: Issues and Prospects _____________________________________________________________________________________ AJOTE Vol. 3, No. 2 (Summer 2013) programs offered in the institutions without the approval of the Government. This state of affairs conflicts with the powers of Colleges of Education regarding the determination of programs to be taught. Colleges of Education on their own may not have the freedom to determine the content of the curricula of their programs or whom they award certificates or diplomas to. Before the upgrading of Colleges of Education, the Teacher Education Division of the Ministry of Education and the Institute of Education were responsible for designing academic programs for the institutions. Thus, the development of curricula, course outlines and assessment schedules were the responsibilities of the two bodies. With the passage of the Colleges of Education Act, Act 847, it is expected that the National Council for Tertiary Education will assume the responsibilities of the Teacher Education Division and thus collaborate with the Institute of Education to facilitate the development of curricula for the Colleges. The Institute of Education has since 1975 been responsible for assessment and certification of the products of Colleges of Education. And with the passage of the Colleges of Education Act, 847, the Institute is set to continue to perform this role in Colleges of Education sector. In fact, the Colleges of Education Act, 847 provides that Colleges of Education are to “offer programmes for the award of diplomas and other certificates through affiliation with other chartered institutions accredited by the National Accreditations Board” (Government of Ghana, 2012). The objective of affiliation in the Ghanaian tertiary education system is to ensure the attainment and maintenance of high standards for the promotion of academic quality (National Accreditation Board, 2010).The relationship is for the mentoring institution (University of Cape Coast through the Institute of Education) to provide academic support and supervision to the mentored institution and certify the graduates of the institution being mentored (National Accreditation Board, 2010). Colleges of Education on their own cannot decide the number of students to admit. In fact, the determination of the number of students to admit to COEs is the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance which set the quota of students to admit to COEs on the basis of availability of funds. Students of Colleges of Education are paid maintenance allowances by the government of Ghana, thus decisions on the number of students to admit to COEs are based on the ability of the Government of Ghana to pay allowances to students. Thus, whilst Principals of Colleges of Education have indicated that there is capacity to admit more students, they are unable to do so because of financial constraints. Another issue that impinges on the freedom of Colleges of Education to select students borders on determination of minimum entry requirements to tertiary education institutions. In Ghana, two supervisory bodies - the National Council for Tertiary Education and the National Accreditation Board - are responsible for the determination of standards in tertiary education, including minimum entry requirements (subjects and minimum grades) for admission to tertiary education institutions. In this regard, Colleges of Education will be unable to employ any innovative ways to admit students whose grades and subject combinations do not meet the criteria set by the NCTE and NAB. Even though there is an urgent need to train more teachers for basic schools in Ghana. Section (4)(d) of the College’s of Education Act states that a college of education shall ensure that basic research and action research form an integral part of teacher education to provide quality teaching and learning in the classroom (Government of Ghana , 2012). Action research allows the teacher to systematically codify their practical experience and make it part of 7 Emmanuel Newman _____________________________________________________________________________________ AJOTE Vol. 3, No. 2 (Summer 2013) the shared professional knowledge of teachers just as is done by many recognized professions such as engineering and medicine (Ben-Peretz , 1984). This assertion notwithstanding, the culture of research and publication of research outcomes is nearly non-existent in Colleges of Education. The paucity of research capacity in Colleges of Education is as a result of the fact that, when the colleges operated as non-tertiary institutions, their main focus was teaching and learning , thus the teaching staff of the colleges were not required to undertake research and publish their research results as part of the requirements of tenure or promotion. In this regard, it would be difficult for the present cohort of teachers of colleges of education to supervise the production of quality research outputs amongst their students or ingrain research culture in the institutions. Current Governance Issues in Colleges of Education The elevation of TTIs to COEs resulted in the placement of the Colleges under the National Council for Tertiary Education. However, it seems the National Council for Tertiary Education and the Ghana Education Service are playing conflicting roles regarding the regulation of the Colleges. For instance, while the NCTE is responsible for coordinating the budgets of the Colleges; the Ghana Education Service still supervises the pay-roll of the Colleges. Additionally, apart from the position of principal, the Ghana Education Service supervises the appointment and promotion of the staff of the Colleges. In the case of appointment of principals, the National Council for Tertiary Education interviews and select the most eligible candidate for appointment as principals but appointment letters are issued by the Ghana Education Service. There are also issues regarding the preparedness of the National Council for Tertiary Education to regulate or supervise institutions devoted to initial teacher education. The Council has neither developed coherent policies to foster effective oversight of the Colleges nor developed standards and norms to foster performance measurement in the Colleges. Moreover, the Council has not put in place measures to take over the functions of the Teacher Education Division which includes the facilitation of curricula review in collaboration with the Institute of Education of University Cape Coast and supervision of special teacher education programs such as distance education and “Untrained Teachers Diploma in Basic Education (UTDBE)”. A critical issue that requires analysis is the role of the Governing Councils of Colleges of Education. Interim Governing Councils were appointed to exercise oversight in the Colleges when they were elevated to tertiary status in 2008. However, the Councils have been informed not to make major decisions without prior consultations with the National Council for Tertiary Education and the Ghana Education Service. Thus, for the past four years, the Councils have been unable to make major decisions regarding the development of the institutions. Another issue is the development of instruments to foster effective governance and management of the Colleges. Indeed, since the elevation of the Colleges to tertiary status in 2008, the institutions have been operating without clearly defined statutes, scheme of service and conditions of service. Thus, even though Colleges of Education have been elevated to tertiary status they are still operating with the conditions and scheme of service of the Ghana Education Service. An emerging phenomenon in some of the Colleges concerns reports received by the National Council for Tertiary Education about some Chairmen of the Interim Governing Councils trying to involve themselves in the management of the Colleges. This matter has 8 The Upgrading of Teacher Training Institutions to Colleges of Education: Issues and Prospects _____________________________________________________________________________________ AJOTE Vol. 3, No. 2 (Summer 2013) brought into question the knowledge and expertise of the members of the Governing Councils regarding the governance of tertiary education institutions. Issues bordering on governance and autonomy of Colleges of Education are further complicated by Section 19 of the Colleges of Education Act, 2012, which provides that statutes enacted by the Colleges of Education are subject to the approval of the Minister. This implies that apart from the National Council for Tertiary Education and the National Accreditation Board, the Colleges are further subject to the oversight of the Minister of Education. This could pave the way for political interference in the management and governance of the institutions. Assessment of Human and Material Resources in Colleges of Education Some stakeholders have been raised concerns regarding the capacity of the personnel of the Colleges of Education to manage tertiary education institutions. For instance, Opare (2008) stated that managerial support systems in the institutions were woefully inadequate to say the least. Additionally, a report released by the National Accreditation Board in 2007 indicated that, “most if not all of the non-teaching or supporting staff serving in responsible positions in the Colleges such as Librarians, Accountants, and Secretaries of the Colleges were not professionally qualified” (NAB, 2007). The report also stressed that in several instances those designated as College Bursars or Accountants had qualifications below Higher National Diploma and as such it that appeared that fund management in the institutions were solely in the hands of the Principals of the Colleges. Moreover, the NAB (2007) determined that in about twenty institutions there were poor to below average leadership. This state of affairs could adversely affect the quality of support provided by non-teaching and auxiliary staff to foster the fulfillment of the mission of the Colleges, which is the business of teacher preparation. The Colleges should as a matter of urgency recruit more qualified administrative personnel, and enhance their knowledge in leadership, management and the operation of the committee system of governance in Colleges of Education through workshops and other training programs. The National Council for Tertiary Education should provide support to the institutions in this area. The National Council for National Council for Tertiary Education’s prescribed that teachers of Colleges of Education should possess master’s degrees. However, a survey conducted by NCTE indicated that most of the teachers Colleges Education do not possess the requisite qualifications. Table 1: Qualifications of Teachers in Colleges of Education Source: Data from National Council for Tertiary Education, Ghana 2012. Qualifications Number Percent PhD 1 0.09 Masters Degree 436 37.46 First Degree 602 51.72 Other Qualifications 126 10.82 Total 1164 100.00 9 Emmanuel Newman _____________________________________________________________________________________ AJOTE Vol. 3, No. 2 (Summer 2013) This will in no doubt have effect on the quality of the educational services provided by the institutions. Table 1, indicates that only about 37.55% of the teaching staff of Colleges of Education posses master’s degrees or PhDs, additionally, NAB (2007) determined that only 0.01% of the teachers with Masters Degrees in Colleges of Education have qualifications in the relevant subject area . Indeed, most of the teachers in Colleges of Education with advanced degrees have qualifications in the area of Educational Management (NAB, 2007). In spite of this, NAB (2007) further notes that from time to time the Ghana Education Service re-assigns staff of the Colleges of Education with advanced degrees to other administrative positions in the Service. Adequate equipment and infrastructure are necessary for the provision of quality tertiary education. It is observed that infrastructure of Colleges of Education in the area of offices; residential accommodation, classrooms, libraries, laboratories, as well as tools and equipment should be provided to ensure that the Colleges are able to perform their functions as expected. Without doubt, infrastructure of Colleges of Education needs improvement if the colleges are to live up to their designation as tertiary education institutions. NAB (2007) reported that laboratory/workshop equipment in the Colleges were obsolete, inadequate and poorly maintained. The Board again indicated that office accommodation for tutors was largely non- existent in the Colleges. The findings of the National Accreditation Board were affirmed by the NCTE (2007) which stated that “furnishing in the laboratories is very poor and equipment is not only scanty and paltry but out of date”. Even though some efforts have been made to improve infrastructure and equipment in the Colleges, not much has changed since the Colleges were elevated to tertiary status. Recommendations and Conclusion The elevation of TTIs to Colleges of Education to enhance the training of teachers bodes well for the education sector in Ghana. Indeed, the preparation of highly skilled teachers is crucial for guaranteeing quality outcomes in basic education. The foregoing analysis has shown that various challenges militate against the smooth evolution of Colleges of Education as tertiary education institutions. The autonomy of Colleges of Education should be strengthened to foster managerial and leadership innovation in initial teacher preparation. This means that persons with experience in governance of tertiary education institutions should be appointed to “chaperone” the institutions as they make the transition from non-tertiary to tertiary institutions. Additionally, the senior management staff of the Colleges should be equipped with the skills required for managing tertiary education institutions. The National Council for Tertiary Education should assist in building the capacity of the governing councils to enhance the knowledge of the members in governance of tertiary education institutions. The Council should organize training programs to build the managerial capacity of the senior management staff of the Colleges. The National Council for Tertiary Education should strengthen its own capacity regarding regulation and supervision of Colleges of Education. Policies and standards and norms should be developed as a matter of urgency to facilitate the effective monitoring and evaluation of developments in the Colleges. The provision of section 19 of the Colleges of Education Act , 2012 which stipulates that statutes enacted by governing councils of Colleges is subject to the approval of the Minister of Education would undermine the autonomy of the institutions and delay the implementation of 10 The Upgrading of Teacher Training Institutions to Colleges of Education: Issues and Prospects _____________________________________________________________________________________ AJOTE Vol. 3, No. 2 (Summer 2013) decisions of the governing councils. It will also lead to political interference in the governance and management of the Colleges. Additionally, the provision of section 4 of the Colleges of Education Act, 2012 which provides that governing councils of Colleges of Education should “ensure that basic and action research form part an integral part of teacher education to promote quality teaching and learning in the classroom” appears far-fetched. Colleges of Education are operating at level 5 of ISCED classifications and they do not possess the human and material resources necessary for the conduct of basic research. The Colleges should not expend their limited resources on the conduct of basic research. Indeed, the nation would be better served if Colleges of Education are declared as teaching institutions to foster the focusing of the institutions on their core mandate of preparing teachers for basic institutions. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the capacity of the institutions should be built to enable them to conduct action research to enable the teachers to codify their practical experiences. In spite of the current practice regarding the assignment of specific subject areas to Colleges of Education to facilitate the preparation of generalist and specialist teachers to meet national development goals, section 4(b) of the Colleges of Education Act provides that a College of Education shall, “decide on the subjects to be taught based on their special relevance to the needs of the educational system …and national development.” If section 4b of the Colleges of Education Act is implemented by individual colleges, the balance of supply of specialist and generalist teachers could be upset to the detriment of the educational system. It is the view of the present writer that the review of programs offered by Colleges of Education should cover the whole Colleges of Education subsector and take into consideration the resource endowment and the market and geographic scope of each institution. The foregoing analyses provide the bases for reviewing the Colleges of Education Act, 2012 to remove ambiguities regarding the autonomy of colleges of education as well as having firm measures for ensuring the preparation of teachers with different specialties to meet the needs of basic schools in Ghana. The inability of Colleges of Education to enroll all qualified students as a result of government’s mandatory admission quota for the Colleges is a draw-back on the nation’s attempts to prepare adequate number of teachers for the basic education subsector, considering the fact that the Ghana Education Service has employed many untrained teachers due to inadequate number of trained teachers. For instance, data available at the Ministry of Education shows that only 44.8% and 66.3% of kindergarten and primary school teachers respectively posses the requisite qualifications (Ministry of Education, 2012). Additionally, some principals have claimed that if given the chance they could enroll more than the present number of students. For instance, the Principal of Enchi College of Education was reported to have claimed that the college could admit more 500 students but it has been limited to 170 students as its quota (Daily Graphic, 2013). In this regard, the Government of Ghana should consider allowing the colleges to enroll a percentage of qualified applicants who could not be covered by subsidies to enroll as fee-paying students. Other pertinent issues that must be addressed to enable to discharge their functions effectively regard the poor state of the infrastructure and the low qualifications of majority of teachers in the Colleges. Thus, it is recommended that the Government of Ghana should set up a special fund to provide more infrastructure and equipment for the Colleges. Teachers of the colleges should also be assisted by the Government to acquire qualifications required for teaching in tertiary institutions. 11 Emmanuel Newman _____________________________________________________________________________________ AJOTE Vol. 3, No. 2 (Summer 2013) The transition of Colleges of Education from post-secondary non-tertiary institutions to tertiary institutions has been long and arduous. The process was started in 2008 and it seems that it will not be completed soon. The words of Reverend Sister Mante, the Vice-Principal of Our Lady of Apostles of Colleges of Education, sum up the present situation of Colleges of Education of the Colleges as follows: We are neither firmly entrenched as tertiary institutions nor are we still regarded as post-secondary non-tertiary institutions. We are between the two. Even though we have been placed under the National Council for Tertiary Education for about four years, the payroll of the staff of the Colleges and promotions are still being supervised by the Ghana Education Service. The elevation of TTIs to Colleges of Education to bodes well for the education system in Ghana. Stakeholders (Ghana Education Service, National Council for Tertiary Education and the Ministry of Education) should collaborate to expedite the finalization of the transition Teacher Training Colleges to Colleges of Education to foster the preparation quality teachers for the pre- tertiary sector and remote ambiguities regarding the current status of the colleges. In fact, the need for the strengthening of Colleges of Education in order to diversify tertiary education in Ghana cannot be overemphasized. Due to the change in the duration of secondary education from four years to three years in 2008 after a change in political administration in Ghana, has resulted in two cohorts of secondary school graduates whose sheer numbers are beyond the capacity of the nation’s universities and polytechnics. This calls for the strengthening of Colleges of Education through the provision of financial support, to enable the institutions to acquire the requisite human and material resources to foster the positioning of Colleges of Education as attractive options in tertiary education and offer attractive alternative pathways to tertiary education for secondary school leavers. REFERENCES Anamuah–Mensah, Jophus (2006). Teacher education and practice in Ghana. In Kolawole T. Raheem and Kupari Pekka (Eds.), Educational issues for sustainable development in Africa (pp. 28-40). Lasonen Johana: Institute for Educational Research. Ashby, E. (1966). Universities, British, Indian, African. 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