Komenda College Principal Calls for Policy to Compel Private Schools to Employ Trained Teachers
The Principal of Komenda College of Education, Very Rev. Professor Kwesi Nkum Wilson, has called on the government to introduce a policy compelling private schools to employ professionally trained teachers to address teacher recruitment and deployment challenges in Ghana.
He said the policy would create employment opportunities for professionally trained teachers while improving the quality of teaching and learning in private schools.
Prof. Wilson made the appeal during the 2025 graduation ceremony of Komenda College of Education in the Central Region, held under the theme: “Sustaining Quality Teacher Education, Embracing Innovative Pedagogy and Digital Tools for the 21st Century Classroom.”
He expressed concern about the inappropriate deployment of trained teachers, explaining that some teachers trained in early childhood education were assigned to teach at the junior high school level, while others trained for junior high school education were deployed to early childhood institutions.
According to him, introducing a policy requiring private schools to recruit professionally trained teachers would help address the situation and ensure that teachers were assigned roles that matched their professional training and competencies.
“Private schools should be compelled as well to recruit trained teachers,” he stressed.
He added that the move would benefit both trained teachers seeking opportunities to practise their profession and private schools seeking qualified personnel to strengthen their academic standards.
Komenda College Graduates 457 Students
Providing details about the college’s academic performance, Prof. Wilson disclosed that a total of 457 students graduated during the ceremony.
Out of the number, 128 students obtained First Class degrees, 245 graduated with Second Class Upper Division, 76 obtained Second Class Lower Division, while seven students received Third Class degrees.
He further revealed that the college currently had a student population of 1,511, comprising 50.29 per cent males and 49.7 per cent females.
Government Engages Private School Leaders
Responding to the proposal, the Technical Advisor and Director of Pre-Tertiary Education at the Ministry of Education, Stephen Owusu, disclosed that the government had already initiated discussions with the leadership of private schools on the matter.
He said a committee had been established to examine the issue, adding that the outcome of the discussions would guide the government’s next line of action.
Mr. Owusu also acknowledged the challenges associated with teacher deployment, particularly situations where teachers were transferred from positions aligned with their professional training due to personal requests or external influence.
Teachers Urged to Embrace Technology and Innovation
The Bishop of the Cape Coast Diocese of the Methodist Church Ghana and Council Chairman of Komenda College of Education, Prof. Richardson Aboagye Andam, urged teachers to embrace emerging technologies and innovative teaching approaches to remain relevant in the modern classroom.
Reflecting on his early teaching career, he recounted how he and some colleagues trained in subjects such as Biology, Geography and Mathematics voluntarily acquired computer skills and taught students at a time when their school had no ICT teacher.
He explained that his computer knowledge later earned him a position on the school’s examinations committee and eventually enabled him to provide examination-printing services for other schools.
Prof. Andam said the experience demonstrated how acquiring additional skills could create opportunities beyond one’s formal professional responsibilities.
Graduates Encouraged to Develop Practical Skills and Integrity
The Dean of the Faculty of Vocational Education at the University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (USTED), Prof. Gilbert Owiah Sampson, emphasised the need for education to translate into practical competence, service and meaningful impact.
He noted that academic certificates alone were no longer sufficient, urging graduates to develop the ability to apply knowledge, solve problems, adapt to changing circumstances, create opportunities and contribute positively to their communities.
Valedictorian Highlights Graduates’ Challenges
The Valedictorian, Celestina Andoh, described the graduation journey as one marked by significant academic, emotional and personal challenges.
She said her studies in Mathematics and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) had strengthened her perseverance, problem-solving abilities and resilience, adding that the experiences had prepared her to face future challenges.
