Accra: Professor Smile Gavua Dzisi, the Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), has urged Governing Councils of Colleges of Education to provide strong strategic leadership and clear policy direction to improve institutional performance and sustainability. She emphasized that the Councils must go beyond supervising day-to-day activities and take pragmatic, forward-looking decisions that would shape the future of their institutions.
According to Ghana News Agency, Prof Dzisi advised the Councils to determine where their colleges would be positioned in the next five to 10 years, including decisions on areas of specialisation such as science education, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), inclusive education, and digital pedagogy. She made these remarks at an extraordinary meeting of the Governing Council of the Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) College of Education in Accra, which gathered Council members, the new national leadership of the SDA Church, and senior officials in Ghana's education sector to deliberate on key policy and governance issues.
Prof Dzisi stated that such bold and deliberate decisions would provide clear and measurable benefits for both the colleges and their Governing Councils, aiding institutions in staying relevant within Ghana's evolving education landscape. She urged the Councils to adhere strictly to national education policies and recognized tertiary education standards. The Deputy Director-General also stressed the importance of Colleges of Education clearly defining and communicating their areas of specialisation within domains such as STEM education, inclusive pedagogy, early childhood education, TVET, and digital teaching methods. Such clarity, she noted, would help staff, students, development partners, and government stakeholders understand each institution's core focus, thereby strengthening institutional reputation and attracting high-calibre students, faculty, and partnerships.
Prof Dzisi warned colleges against attempting to serve all purposes simultaneously, noting that this often weakened institutional identity and impact. She highlighted the critical role of Governing Councils in ensuring financial accountability, explaining that the Councils are mandated to approve annual budgets and long-term financial plans to ensure alignment with national education policies and priorities. They must ensure the prudent use of public and internally generated funds, demonstrating value for money and directly supporting teaching, learning, and institutional development. Additionally, the Councils are required to oversee auditing processes and enforce financial transparency, with regular audits and compliance checks being essential to maintaining public trust and preventing financial mismanagement.
Prof Dzisi commended the Governing Council and Management of the SDA College of Education for their commitment to academic and professional excellence, as well as prudent financial discipline. She praised the College for demonstrating strong leadership in promoting quality teaching and learning, improving professional standards among staff, and ensuring that academic programmes meet the requirements of Ghana's tertiary education framework. "The progress we are seeing at the SDA College of Education is the result of strong collaboration between the Council and Management," she said. "When academic excellence is matched by financial discipline, institutions are better placed to deliver on their mandate and serve the national interest."
Professor Vincent Adzahlie-Mensah, Principal of the SDA College of Education, highlighted key achievements of the institution over the past two years and commended President John Mahama for directing funding for the construction of a new male hostel and a multipurpose lecture hall. He mentioned that the plans for the projects have been approved and work would commence soon. Prof Adzahlie-Mensah attributed the College's progress to collective effort, shared vision, and strong collaboration among the Governing Council, management, staff, and students, and reaffirmed the institution's commitment to strengthening academic quality, professional development, and ethical leadership in teacher education.
The outgoing Chairman of the Governing Council, Professor William Kofi Koomson, expressed gratitude to members for their support and assured stakeholders that management would continue to uphold prudent financial discipline. He emphasized that the ultimate focus must remain on producing competent, disciplined, and value-driven teachers for national development, urging all stakeholders to align academic excellence with financial responsibility to sustain the College's progress.