Presbyterian University College, Ghana (PUCG) has held Matriculation Ceremony for graduate programmes at three of its campuses – Okwahu, Kumasi and Akuapem.
At matriculation ceremonies, the matriculation oath is sworn by the students, which binds them to observe the rules and regulations of the University, to obey the President and other officials of the University, to apply themselves diligently to their studies, to seek knowledge and truth and to promote the general good of the University.
The oath also binds the University and its Management to seek to the welfare of the students during the duration of their studies.
The University matriculated 274 students unto the Master of Education in Educational Studies (M.Ed.) and the Master of Arts in International Development Studies (IDS) programmes. This figure comprise 219 M.Ed. (71 females and 148 males)and 55 M.A. IDS (17 females and 38 males)students.
This year, the graduate programmes drew students from over 60 cities and towns across the country.
M.A. International Development
The M.A. International Development, which is a one (1) year programme with thesis component, is an interdisciplinary programme drawing from courses in diverse fields of study such as Economics, History, Political Science, Sociology and Social Anthropology as well as Social Policy.
Students will emerge from the programme with a thorough grounding in the history, debates, dimensions, institutional approaches, and critiques of the present field of international development and practice.
The IDS builds a bridge between academic discourse and development practice, and expose students to evaluation of documents of the international donor community, including the World Bank, analyse the institutional language of development professionals and how to put together proposals for grants and implement a development research.
M.Ed. in Educational Studies
This programe has been designed to provide opportunity for graduates, who are desirous to teach, as well as professional graduate teachers, who want to upgrade their qualifications, or update their skills to have in-depth practical knowledge and experience in teaching, as well as those who want to acquire skills as trainers of trainers, administrators and managers.
The M.Ed. programme offers its students career opportunities in teaching, education policy development, social work, corporate training, curriculum development and writing of content in education speciality areas for business websites.
New Teacher Education Policy Reform
Presenting his speech at the matriculation ceremony, the President of PUCG, Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Adow Obeng gave caution to the new education reform policy which seeks to among others convert the Colleges of Education into University Colleges affiliated to five public universities offering teacher education curriculum;
Design a new 4-year Bachelor of Education Curriculum for initial teacher education to be offered at the University Colleges of Education in a bid to address the several challenges faced by our school system because of the kind of training offered to pre-tertiary teachers in Ghana.
According Rev. Prof. Adow Obeng, even though there is justification for this policy reform, there will be inadequate qualified staff needed by the Colleges to function effectively as degree awarding institutions.
The President revealed that even as diploma awarding institutions, some of the Colleges do not have the requisite personnel to perform and deliver effectively on their mandate.
Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Adow Obeng said the PUCG has stepped up its graduate programmes in Education and relevant fields to help address some of these envisaged staff deficit. In this light, the PUCG has submitted a programme in MPhil in Education Studies to UCC for affiliation and possible accreditation with NAB afterwards.
PUCG Charter
The Presbyterian University College, Ghana has initiated the process to obtain charter and become a full-fledged University and the president of PUCG believes the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) should do everything within its power to help the University gain the charter within the next four years.
Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Adow Obeng said PUCG Charter will qualify the University to mentor the five Colleges of Education of the PCG will ensure that the PCG keeps hold on her Colleges of Education and continue to oversee the development culture of discipline amongst the students.
According to the President of the PUCG, the public universities have failed woefully in this area and the country is looking up to the faith-based tertiary institutions like the PUCG to achieve some success here.
Examination Malpractice
The President of PUCG, Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Adow Obeng cautioned the students to be honest and truthful in examinations and eschew all forms of examination malpractices warning that the punishment for such an act is outright dismissal.
He implored the students to take advantage of the serene environment of the University campuses to focus on their academic work and work hard to complete their dissertations to ensure timely completion of their programmes.