Professor Frederick Kwaku Sarfo, the Vice-Chancellor of Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED), has called on graduates to move beyond earning certificates and demonstrate practical skills that solve problems, spur innovation, and create opportunities. He made this statement at the graduation of the 16th convocation of the Komenda College of Education.
The graduation ceremony, which had the theme "Sustaining Quality Teacher Education: Embracing Innovative Pedagogies and Digital Tools for the 21st Century Classroom," saw 457 students graduate with Bachelor of Science Education across multiple programs. The graduating cohort comprised 207 females and 250 males. The programs included Primary Education, Science Education, Mathematics and ICT Education, Home Economics, Agriculture, Visual Arts, and Technical Education.
Professor Sarfo emphasized that the changing landscape of higher education requires graduates to pair applied skills with ethical professionalism to drive community and national development. He called for a shift in teaching approaches, where educators act as facilitators, mentors, and role models rather than merely transmitters of information. He also cautioned that "skills without integrity can be harmful" and encouraged graduates to keep learning, develop practical skills, think innovatively, serve with integrity, and create impact.
The Principal of the College, Dr. Kwesi Nkum Wilson, stated that the presentation of certificates was not being celebrated alone, but also the journey of perseverance, teaching practice, and examinations that prepared the graduands for the classroom. He recognized rapid technological change and shifting learner needs, stressing that the modern teacher must be a facilitator, critical thinker, innovator, collaborator, and digital user with professional competence, values, and resilience.
Dr. Wilson highlighted a 'paradigm shift' in teacher education, with the College expanding programs to include Ghanaian Languages and advocating for greater attention to Physical Education, Music, and Agricultural Education at the basic level. He urged the Ghana Education Service to adopt deployment policies ensuring at least 60 percent of classroom teachers were professionally trained to improve teacher distribution and quality.
Professor Richardson Addai-Mununkum, Professor of Curriculum and Pedagogy at the University of Education, Winneba, urged graduates to sustain quality teacher education by embracing innovative pedagogies and digital tools for the 21st-century classroom. He advised lecturers to model digital pedagogy in lecture halls and warned against reverting to outdated teacher-centred methods. He also encouraged graduates to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities in education and keep professional documents up to date.
A decade-long summary of the college's academic output shows it has produced more than 3,872 graduates: 422 with first-class honours, 1,672 with second-class upper, 1,248 with second-class lower, 476 with third class, and 77 with pass degrees. The College has also established partnerships with institutions, including the Wiawso College of Education and programs such as the Agorudi Ma Osuahu (AMO), and is in discussions with Shinawatra University (Thailand) and Federal College of Education (Technical) Akoka, Lagos.
Key points
- AAMUSTED Vice-Chancellor Professor Frederick Kwaku Sarfo has urged graduates to focus on developing practical skills that solve problems and spur innovation.
- The Komenda College of Education has produced over 3,872 graduates in the past decade.
- The College is shifting its focus towards innovative pedagogies and digital tools to improve teacher education.
