The Presbyterian College of Education (PCE) has held its 17th matriculation ceremony, to usher in 520 students to the College for the 2024/2025 academic year.
The fresh students included those with special needs.
The ceremony, at Akropong – Akuapem in the Eastern Region, was on the theme: ” One Mission, Many Voices: Advancing Inclusive Teacher Education.”
The Presbyterian College of Education, formerly known as Presbyterian Training College, was established on July 3, 1844, as an all-male institution and became a mixed school in 1958.
It currently has a Special Education Unit which trains the visually impaired, hearing impaired, and the physically challenged students.
The total student population is 1,716 consisting of 890 males and 826 females.
Rev Dr Nicholas Apreh Siaw, Principal of the Presbytarian College of Education, said the matriculation ceremony provided an opportunity for students to pledge their allegiance to the authority of the college through the administering of the Matriculation Oath and the Honour Code.
He said: ” the College recognizes the importance of inclusive education because it promotes diversity, equity and social justice and admits that every student is unique and has different learning needs and seeks to create an environment that is responsive to these needs.”
Rev Dr Siaw advised the students to respect and appreciate diversity of their peers to create the social coalition.
“Together we can foster a culture of inclusivity, social justice, and ultimately create a more harmonious society,” he emphasised.
He urged the teachers to strive to model inclusive teaching practices, and challenge bias and stereotypes in the College halls, classrooms, and everywhere.
Speaking on the theme, Mrs Regina Oppong, Ghana’s representative on the International Council of Education of Persons with Visual Impairment, added her voice to the importance of advancing inclusive teacher education in the country saying, ” it’s like a symphony where every instrument plays a different note of a distinct sound yet together, they create a masterpiece.”
Emphasizing on uniqueness, she advocated a harmonious mindset that embraced diversity as a strength and not a weakness.
She therefore recommended that the policy makers and educators reshaped the policy framework to guide how teachers should be trained and how classrooms should be structured to suit a diversity in harmony.
Regarding stationery, she called on the government to resource teachers who handle special students.
The Presbyterian College of Education has the Departments of Sciences, Education, Social Sciences, Creative Arts, Languages, Mathematics and Computer Studies, Vocational and Technical.