Adapt educational reform - Fobih

Accra, Feb 18, GNA - Professor Dominic Fobih, Minister of Education, Science and Sports on Sunday called on heads of Private Tertiary Institutions in the country to study and adapt their programmes in accordance with the new educational reform to address the deficiencies in the previous reform.

He said the modification of some programmes in the educational sector emphasized on Science, Technology and Vocational studies would help produce effective and capable human resource for the nation's fast growing economy.

Prof. Fobih said this at the official inauguration of a two-storey Lecture Hall Complex, dubbed: "Colombia Hall" at Valley View University (VVU), Oyibi a suburb of Accra. The $200,000 hall was funded by the Colombia Union Conference (CUC) a sub-regional entity within the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America together with three of it subsidiaries Kettering Medical Center Network, Adventist Healthcare Incorporated and Alleghany East conference.

"Private Tertiary Institutions have come in a wonderful way to complement government effort. This has greatly reduced the pressure on government in creating opportunities for the large number of qualified senior high school students who are not able to be admitted into public universities," Prof. Fobih said. He commended authorities of the premier private university for incorporating a degree programme in nursing, bio-medical equipment technology and information which fall in line with the objective of the educational reform.

Dr.Seth A. Laryea, President of the University, said the Colombia Hall was an affirmation by the Adventist Mission to make the school a centre of excellence for Christian education to nurture minds, and develop leaders to serve humanity with integrity. He said the Church stresses on the need for quality education not limited to only excellence in academic attainment but all aspects of human life.

He said the hall was the first of twelve duplexes in the schools master plan to house all their academic programmes. Dr. Laryea said the edifice would house the schools nursing programme and departmental library, Lecture Theatre, conference room, medical equipment technology programme scheduled to commence next academic year following the accreditation request. He said the completion of the hall would allow the VVU to admit more students into more programmes, adding, "it would serve thousands of students who will come here to develop themselves so as they can better serve God".

Dr. Laryea, thanked Colombia Union Conference, Johnson & Johnson and the other sponsors for their support towards the institution. Dr. Mrs Gladys Ashietey, Deputy Minister of Health said the institution of nursing was in the right direction because the Ministry of Health was moving from a disease centred approach to health care delivery system that would protect the health of individuals through the regenerative health and nutrition approach.

She said there was the need to ensure that the capacity and competence of nurses to assist individual and communities health needs to promote healthy lifestyles. According to her, it would be very useful for the school to influence the training curriculum to make it serve the needs of the rural communities.

Dr Ashietey said the professional staff situation of the health sector was grave as the total number had halved due to brain drain. She added that the Health sector had put in place measures to reduce the rate at which health professional leave the country and called on the nursing students to join the efforts to train and retain. On his part Mr Samuel A. Larmie, President of CUC said the conviction was brought to bear in 2005 when Elder Harold Lee and the North American Regional Leadership of CUC visited Ghana and held a series of meeting with the Ghana Union Conference Executive Committee to enter into partnership with the North American Division Leadership towards the introduction of a nursing programme at VVU. The Leadership of CUC and Alleghany East conference donated $ 10,000 as seed capital to purchase equipment for the hall.