DON'T FORCE STUDENTS BUY LECTURE PAPERS (PAGE 11)

THE Director of the Institute of Education of the University of Cape Coast, Professor James Opare, says it is unethical for tutors of Colleges of Education to modify their lectures into pamphlets and compel their students to buy them.
He said although tutors could give their students extra information, it was not professionally and academically proper to do so by printing them into pamphlets and forcing the students to buy them.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic at the first congregation of the Foso College of Education at Assin Foso at the weekend, Prof. Opare said tutors were permitted to modify and print their lectures into pamphlets after the Institute had assessed such documents and certified them to be useful to the students academic pursuits.
He emphasised that it was only when the Institute of Education gave the nod that such pamphlets could be prescribed and sold to students.
He, therefore, advised principals of colleges of education to discourage the practice which he said could generate into conflict of interest for both students and the academic staff.
Earlier in his welcoming address, the Principal of the college, Mr James B. K. Mensah, called on the UCC and the University of Education, Winneba, to reconsider the timing of the courses for the sandwich Master’s programmes which offered opportunities for tutors in the colleges to upgrade their skills and knowledge.
Mr Mensah explained that the timing could affect the management of the examinations in the colleges.
He urged the Institute of Education to clear the misconception amongst students who entered the colleges through the access programme.
Prof. Joseph Kingsley Aboagye, Director of the Institute of Educational Development and Extension of the University of Education, Winneba, said the university was redesigning its Master’s programmes in English, Mathematics and Science by Distance Education to enable more teachers to benefit from the programme.
The Assistant Executive Secretary of the National Council for Tertiary Education, Mr Alex Ansong, who deputised for the Executive Secretary, Mr Paul Effah, said the council had recommended a three-tier categorisation of tertiary education namely research institutions, degree-awarding institutions and colleges of education.
He said appropriate conditions of service commensurate with each category would be determined.