THE DEGREE of AUTONOMY in COLLEGES of EDUCATION in GHANA a Comparative Study of Before and After Their Upgrade to Tertiary Status
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THE DEGREE OF AUTONOMY IN COLLEGES OF EDUCATION IN GHANA A Comparative Study of Before and After their Upgrade to Tertiary Status ENOCH NYARKOH THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY IN COMPARATIVE AND INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH, FACULTY OF EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF OSLO AUTUMN 2016 ABSTRACT There have been major expansion in the Higher education sector in recent times mostly through reforms. These changes and expansion reflect the important role the sector is playing in promoting economic growth of individuals and the states in general. An integral part of these reforms is the granting of more autonomy to institutions of higher education to plan their activities, mobilize resources to implement programmes, and monitor activities. This study focuses on the degree of autonomy in Colleges of Education in Ghana before and after their upgrade to tertiary institutions. The study which involved eight Colleges of Education, sixty-four respondents (all officials- Principals, academic board members, accountant and registrars) employed quantitative research as a method with a blend of closed and open ended questions to solicit for information regarding the degree of autonomy in the colleges after their upgrade to tertiary comparing it with their past status as post secondary institution. The study used the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) to analyze the data which was interpreted and discussed based on the sequence of the research questions. Though there have some improvement to some extent in the management of the institutions in general, the degree of autonomy in the colleges after the upgrade has not changed much. The state still controls almost all activities in the colleges especially relating to academics. For instance, it was revealed that, the colleges on their own cannot change any aspect of the curriculum. Examination, supervision and certification of the colleges and its products are still handled by the University of Cape Coast through the Institute of Education suggesting that, the old ways (state control) of doing things still persist even after their elevation to tertiary. Suggestions on how to insulate them from such controls and make them more autonomous are made. Since this study couldn't cover every aspect of the colleges, research areas are also suggested. II ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My foremost appreciation and gratitude go to God, the giver of life, through whose guidance and protection I was able to complete this thesis making all the herculean tasks I grappled with surmountable. I am grateful for the mercies shown me. I would also like to use this opportunity to acknowledge my family especially my parents and siblings for their continuous support and prayers throughout my stay and study here. I also thank the Norwegian government for the scholarship opportunity offered me without it, would have been difficult to get such rich education anywhere. I also sincerely acknowledge my hardworking and committed supervisor, Teklu Abate Bekele whose expertise and thoughtful insights guided me to write my thesis. I am most grateful to you Teklu. To all my friends, Dickson, Williams and Francisca who liaised with the schools in my absence, I say thank you. To the heads of all the colleges engaged in the study and all my respondents, I appreciate your efforts and time you devoted towards the study. Also to Nancy who proofread the thesis, i am much appreciative of your assistance. My appreciation and acknowledgement extend to the faculty of the Comparative International Education (CIE) programme, to Prof. Lene Buchert whose experience and in-depth in the field of education manifested in the knowledge impacted on us which has made it possible for me to write my thesis; together with Prof. Fengshu Liu as well as the administrative set up led by the Senior Executive Officer Camilla Bakke whose assistance throughout the programme was immense and immeasurable. Last but not the least, I also acknowledge my CIE mates whom I will remember for many fond memories. By virtue of the programme being an international one brought students with diverse backgrounds together. This did not only enhanced and contributed to making my educational experience unforgettable but also rich. Sincerely, Enoch Nyarkoh. Autumn 2016. III DEDICATION I dedicate this work to my parents, Mr. & Mrs. C. K. Nyarkoh and my siblings for their continuous support and prayers. IV LIST OF TABLE Table 1 Political Rationale.....................................................................................63 Table 2 Political Rationale Compared....................................................................64 Table 3 Economic Rationale....................................................................................65 Table 4 Evaluation of Curriculum............................................................................68 Table 5 Academic Reforms......................................................................................69 Table 6 Program Assessment and Design.................................................................75 Table 7 Comparative Summary.................................................................................79 V LIST OF FIGUERS Figure 1 Newman's Interpretative Framework..........................................................28 Figure 2 Burrell and Morgan's Sociological Models..................................................55 VI ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATION AFRC Armed Forces Revolutionary Council BECE Basic Education Certificate Examination CETAG College of Education Tutors Association of Ghana COE Colleges of Education CPP Convention Peoples Party EU European Union GDP Gross Domestic Product GES Ghana Education Service GIL Ghana Institute of Languages GIJ Ghana Institute of Journalism GoG Government of Ghana HEART Health & Education Advice Resource Team HEI Higher Education Institution IIASA International Institute for Applied System Analysis IMF International Monetary Fund IPS Institute of Professional Studies KNUST Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology LDC Less Developed Countries MOFEP Ministry of Finance & Economic Planning MOE Ministry of Education NAB National Accreditation Board VII NABPTEX National Board for Professional & Technician Examinations NCHE National Council for Higher Education NAFTI National Films & Television Institute NDC National Democratic Congress NLC National Liberation Council NRC National Redemption Council NPP New Patriotic Party NTCE National Council for Tertiary Education OECD Organisation of Economic Co-operation & Development PNDC Provisional National Defence Council PNP Peoples National Party PP Progress Party TED of MOE Tertiary Education Division of the Ministry of Education TEI Tertiary Education Institution TTC Teacher Training Colleges TTI Teacher Training Institutions UCC University of Cape Coast UDS University of Development Studies UEW University of Education, Winneba UG University of Ghana UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural WASSCE West African Secondary School Examinations VIII © Enoch Nyarkoh 2016 The Degree of Autonomy in Colleges of Education in Ghana: A Comparative Study of Before and After their Upgrade to Tertiary Status Enoch Nyarkoh http://www.duo.uio.no/ Trykk: Reprosentralen, Universitetet of Oslo IX TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................................... II ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................. III DEDICATION .................................................................................................................... IV LIST OF TABLE................................................................................................................... V LIST OF FIGUERS ............................................................................................................. VI ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATION .............................................................................. VII 1 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................1 1.1 Background to the Study ..........................................................................................1 1.2 Statement of Problem ...............................................................................................2 1.3 Delimitation of the study ..........................................................................................3 1.4 Limitation of the Study .............................................................................................4 1.5 Definition of Terms/ Concepts ..................................................................................4 1.6 Organization of the Study .........................................................................................5 2 CHAPTER TWO: CONTEXT OF STUDY ....................................................................7 2.1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................7 2.2 Ghana .......................................................................................................................7 2.3 Geography, Culture and Demographics ....................................................................7 2.4 History of Political Governance System- A Sinuous History