Education and training have undoubtedly become a major tool for facilitating individual, societal and national developments.
This brings positive changes and improvements in the life of people who have passed through it.
This implies that an investment in education enables individuals to integrate productively into society while contributing to their personal development.
Ghana’s educational system has seen the most ambitious and comprehensive set of reforms to initial teacher education for many decades.
These reforms are aligned with the National Teachers’ Standards (NTS) which was developed through a joint process spearheaded by the National Teaching Council (NTC) and involved many stakeholders and educationists.
And Supported Teaching in Schools (STS) has become a vital element in any teacher education program.
It is considered the most fundamental way in helping teacher trainees to become effective implementers of the school curriculum.
Level 300 students from colleges of education who were then on vacation in June, were called and mandated by their mentoring universities to embark on this important program.
Amidst the ‘inconveniences and skepticisms, they reported to their various Partner Basic Schools to commence their activities.
The Six (6) Weeks of on-campus teaching practices started in July and ended on the 11th of August.
Some Mentees who spoke with Coleman Publications expressed their satisfaction as to how beneficial the program was to them. Others also stated categorically how tedious and frustrating the program was to them.
Some stated that because they had to rent their apartment for the period, they went to the extent of borrowing. This they believe they won’t be able to repay because they are left with only three weeks to resume school.
However, The Headmaster for Komenda College Practice Basic school, Papa Kwamina Sam, in interaction with Coleman publications asserted that,
The Supported Teaching in School Programme (STS) is adequately assisting student teachers to develop professional skills, attitudes, and values of teaching including knowledge of inclusivity, equity, and support for learners learning progress in the classroom.
He added that, the policymakers (Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service) should strategically provide enough resources such as syllabi, Teachers’ Handbooks, and logistics for effective practice of the programme since it adequately develops student teachers’ teaching professionalism.
Kwamina Sam added that, Improvement needs to be considered by some of the Colleges of Education to close and strengthen the communication gap existing between them and partner schools by pre-informing them before assigning student teachers to them”