UEW to introduce Art Therapy

Winneba, Aug 24, GNA - The University of Education Winneba (UEW), is to introduce a certificate course in Art Therapy.

The duration of the course would be two long vacations between September and October every year.

Professor J Anamua-Mensah, Vice Chancellor, announced this at the opening of the third annual Art Therapy workshop organised by the Art Department of the University, at Winneba.

The workshop for 200 participants mostly Counsellors of Junior and Senior Secondary Schools is to introduce them to Art Therapy to enable them offer excellent service to students and their clients. He said proposals had been sent to the National Academic Accreditation Board for consideration and approval for the beginning of the programme.

Prof Anamua-Mensah described Art Therapy as one of the best antidote for the treatment of learning disability like, attention deficit, hyperactive disorders, behavioural problems and emotionally disturbed persons.

He said the workshop was being held when indiscipline among students and decline in academic performance had become major problems for the nation, which could be addressed through "good counselling and guidance regime".

Prof Anamua-mensah suggested that every school in the country should have at least a counsellor to make education accessible to all children and to assist them to achieve their objectives. He charged the participants to take the workshop seriously to enable them to discharge their duties successfully.

The Vice Chancellor noted that one workshop would not be enough to equip them with all the skills required and stressed the need for follow up seminars and courses to make them more competent. Prof Anamua-Mensah said the University would continue to make its service available to every sector of the population, which would need its assistance.

He said Art Therapy would be offered as an elective course in the Distant Education Guidance and Counselling Diploma programme, adding that, Ghana would be the first country in Africa south of the Sahara with the exception of South Africa to offer Art Therapy as an academic programme and called on the government for support.