The National Service Secretariat (NSS), in partnership with Transforming Teacher Education and Learning (T-Tel) has organised a “pedagogical training” for over 3,000 personnel, who have been deployed to various Senior High Schools to support teaching and learning.
The training, which has been running for three years now, was held at the Business School of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), in Kumasi, on Monday.
Osei Assibey Antwi, Executive Director of NSS, while addressing the personnel disclosed that previously it was just a “conveyor belt”, through which personnel were mobilised and deployed to various SHSs to support teaching and learning, without pedagogical knowledge and background in negation to the law.
The NSS Executive Director said in consultation with the Ministry of Education, the National Teaching Council, Ghana Education Service, Minister of Education and the President, a decision was taken to organise such training for personnel to help them know the methods of teaching as well as shape their skills and also teach them the values needed to be in the classroom.
According to the Executive Director, after the training, personnel will be awarded a Provisional Certificate that allows them to support “Teaching and Learning” in various SHSs across the country.
He said an advance and additional benefit has been added to the program from the second year of the programme thus the personnel who have passion for teaching have been encouraged to apply online (distance learning), for a “Diploma in Education” on completion.
“Here, personnel come to do service with a ‘degree’ but end up going out with an additional “Diploma in Education”, he noted.
Osei Assibey noted that the focus of the NSS is “deployment for employment”, hence the need to take personnel through a “rigorous programme”.
The NSS Executive Director thanked T-Tel, Minister of Education, the President and Vice President for the policy which has initiated development.
“This is how the development of the youth starts. It must always start with a policy that drives them, and drives them very well”.
Osei Assibey Antwi advised personnel to accept postings which are based on their capabilities to help specific institutions.
Meanwhile, 100 national service personnel, who received a scholarship from Zoomlion last year, are now abroad furthering their education in agriculture.
From Oswald Pius Freiku, Kumasi
