A speech delivered by Nana Frimpong Manso Adakabre, ADESUAHENE of Agogo Traditional area, on the occasion of the 25TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETING of Teacher Trainees Association of Ghana, held at Agogo women's College of Education. Nana was the Chairman for the Occasion.

 The Representative of the Asante Akim North Education Directorate, 

President and Executives of TTAG-ASHBA,

Distinguished Guests,

Students,

Ladies and Gentlemen;

I welcome you all to this important gathering of young and budding academics, leaders and drivers of our future educational system.

As I said in my welcome address, I appear before you this morning to represent the OMANHENE of Agogo Traditional Area, Nana Akuoko Sarpong  who could not make it to this program since he had to attend an equally important programme elsewhere. 

On behalf of Omanhene, I wish to convey my utmost appreciation for this rare opportunity to chair this important function.

In our contemporary times,  the pivot of our developmental agenda revolves round quality education. And, to realize this, we need to improve the quality of teachers who are tasked to train our children.

Therefore, ladies and gentlemen, I consider your topic: " *Teacher education advancement and reformation; the role of stakeholders and the teacher trainee*" most appropriate.

I would not bore you with any long speech since competent speakers you have charged to speak on the subject would do an elaborate discussion of it.

According to wikipedia, Teacher Education or teacher training refers to the policies, procedures, and provision designed to equip prospective teachers with the knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and skills they require to perform their tasks effectively in the classroom, school, and wider community. 

This training is always carried out by  professionals called teacher trainers or teacher educators who engage in the training of prospective teachers.

'Advancement', according to Cambridge English dictionary, is 'the development or improvement of something'.

The same dictionary again defines "Reformation" as 'the act of making an improvement, especially by changing a person's behaviour or the structure of something'.

I will explain 'stakeholder'  in the context of this programme, as any party that should have an interest in the improvement in the training of the teacher.

In deliberating on this topic, I pray that our attention should equally be focused on the  components of teacher education which are; *in-service teacher education* and *pre-service teacher education*.

The realization of our goal of teacher education advancement, hinges among others, on the following stakeholders: Government, Affiliate Institutions, Parents and Guardians, Teacher Trainers/Educators and the Teacher Trainees.

My colleagues in the noble profession, Ladies and Gentlemen, the major resources that are used in nurturing the teacher trainee are primarily, provided by government. These include proper lecture halls, halls of residence, adequate and quality tutors, timely payment of not just trainee allowances but, *adequate trainees allowances* etc.

Further, I implore the government to ensure that the National Teaching Council and the National Accreditation Board take pragmatic steps to constantly review the curriculum of the colleges of education to meet the modern needs of the Ghanaian child and to conform to international standards.

To the affiliate institutions, please do well to review the mode of assessment of your trainees. In our part of the world, it appears examinations and tests  administrations are done to punish the learners.

It is high time the mode of assessment is reviewed to include more especially, collaborative learning and project works where learners can learn and tap knowledge from one another.

Project Work offers our students  learning experiences in which they (learners) will have the opportunity to synthesize knowledge of peers on various areas of learning,  and apply it critically and creatively to our real-life situations. This discourages the normal rote learning or 'chew and pour'. 

When learners work in groups,  their knowledge is enhanced and they gain important skills to prepare them for future learning and challenges.

I therefore pray our noble  tutors and principals to collaborate with the affiliate institutions to possibly ,get this done.

To ensure enhanced teacher training and development, the modern tutor must be taken through proper technological training so that he/she is best equipped to manipulate technology in their instruction of lessons.

The modern English language tutor must have adequate knowledge and skills in  incorporating Comptur-Accelerated Language and Learning (CALL). This involves searching for and studying of applications of computers in language teaching and learning. It encompasses  comprehensive collection of collection of information and communications technology application and approaches to teaching and learning foreign language.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I must say that the teaching of Maths, Science, Technical and other courses can better be facilitated through comprehensive use of Information Communication Technology and other technological means. The theoretical way of instruction must be consigned to history.

Government, Non-Governmental Educational Agencies, Philanthropists and other other stakeholders must help equip all colleges with the needed technical and technological infrastructure or tools to help smooth implementation of technologically-driven instruction.

To our Parents and Guardians, since education at all tertiary institutions including colleges of education has gone technological, you must do well to purchase smart phones, tablets, laptops and other technological gadgets to your children and guardians so that they are not left behind in this modern world where educational instruction is best conducted through ICT infrastructure.

Now, to my cherished Teacher Trainees, do well to embrace and confront all the challenges that come with this challenged technological world of instruction so that you  may be compared to a teacher trained in Canada or any developed parts of the world. This way, you may not find it difficult facilitating any learning in or outside of Ghana.

Finally, I wish to appeal to all who matter in the delivery of quality teacher education to contribute their quota to ensure that our education is properly enhanced and therefore, be able to compete with that of Canada, US, UK etc .

Thank you.