After an early start we arrived at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) to find out more about initial teacher training in Ghana and the Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa programme. UCC’s campus must enjoy one of the most idyllic locations of any university in the world with its palm lined avenues, manicured grounds and panoramic views over the Gulf of Guinea coastline.
Our hosts from UCC’s Institute of Education, Might and Kwame, had arranged for us to meet a Tutor from a local teacher training college and a qualified teacher.
We had an extremely useful meeting in which we found out about the course student teachers follow. It differs significantly from courses in England, as in Ghana trainee teachers do not go on teaching practice until the third year of their three year course. We also discovered that due to the shortage of teachers, nobody who remains on the course for the duration fails – regardless of how poor their classroom practice is! It also appears that due to the lack of status associated with teaching as a profession, it is often not the first choice for many of those who train to teach.
We had an enjoyable lunch at a nearby centre for Ghana’s Teachers’ Union. We approved of its motto!
