They have also been urged to avoid the temptation to cut corners in any form, and eschew malpractices during examinations.

Professor Edmund Ameko, acting Vice Chancellor of Accra Technical University, gave the advice at the University’s 25th Matriculation ceremony held on Friday.

According to the acting Vice Chancellor, those practices and behaviours have been the bane of many students who have withdrawn.

Prof. Ameko said the University received 7,934 applications, however 6,669 qualified, and were offered admissions, with the percentage of female students admitted representing 43 per cent.

He explained that last year, the University was able to admit 4,528 students to pursue courses such as civil engineering, building technology, fashion design and textiles, computer science, marketing among others.

Prof Ameko indicated that, the University currently had a student population of about 15,000, with 614 full time and part time staff, crammed on 22.6 acres of land.

“It is evident that our current infrastructure is under a lot of pressure,” he added.

However, the acting Vice Chancellor said the University would do all it could with the available resources to make training and studies of students successful.

He announced that, the University is developing a second campus at Mempemehuasem, near Nsawam, and the School of Engineering would be relocated there in due course.

Prof. Ameko was enthused that government through the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET), was providing the University with four laboratories and workshops for the Mechanical Engineering, Furniture Design and Production, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, and Building Technology and Civil Engineering programmes at the new campus.

He said government was also providing the laboratories and workshops with equipment to train students.

Prof. Ameko said the University has introduced Virtual Internship Programme (VIP) for its students this year, adding that, 650 students undertook their industrial attachments through the VIP programme.

Additionally, Prof Ameko said the University has completed the construction of 32 room guest house, which would serve as a training facility for students in the Hotel Catering and Institutional Management.

He therefore appealed to the students to be committed to discipline and be worthy ambassadors of the University.

“We need the support, loyalty, commitment and cooperation of both students and staff to make this University a world-class institution of higher learning.”

Prof. Ameko urged students to also develop their competencies through constant practice, adding, “begin your dreams of what you want to become from here and work towards them diligently.’’

According to him, any breach of the University’s rules and regulations, would definitely attract appropriate sanctions.

Dillys Kwakye, acting Registrar of the University, swore the students in.

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Source: GNA

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The project or program is supposed to aid in the implementation of Act 992, which resulted in the conversion from Accra Polytechnic to Accra Technical University.

The Dean of School of Business and Management Studies, Mr. Ernest Christian Winful, said he was very happy the Act was being implemented as it will help the practicalities of every course’s field work and encourage the habit of using technology.

“Just a few years ago, our name was changed from Accra Polytechnic to Accra Technical University by Act 922. The Act mandates us that our teaching or focus should be competency-based,” he said.

“It’s a big challenge looking at the number of students we have available. How can we achieve this? I’m very happy that by the act, an insurance company Enterprise Life Assurance is giving us that assurance that we can live up to that expectations. I think with the name ‘life’ means we have life for ATU”.

The project which is set to run every year for final year students in the marketing department, is to assess them not only on theory-based projects but practical ones as well.

Speaking to the students, Mr. Winful added “the competency-based training has four main areas following the MoU some of which is to stick to the focus from trainers to trainees. Align competence with assertion. So we are no just going to assess you based on the chew, pour pass and forget, but rather we are going to send you out. Do the selling you have been taught in class on which you will be graded according.”

In an acceptance speech by the chairman of the occasion Mr Edmund Ameko, the Vice Chancellor of ATU,  pleaded with the final year students in marketing to go out and make the institution proud.

He also assured Enterprise Life of its full cooperation in the implementation of the project.

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By: Ann-Shirley Ziwu/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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According to them, they have witnessed a demonstration of good faith by the school’s management towards fixing the challenges.

[contextly_sidebar id=”fcd9I1lQxPin0G0WyjDJwJeFWjxEeihL”]The lecturers declared the strike over what they described as poor conditions in the school, which they claimed negatively affected teaching and learning.

Organizer of the Accra Technical University branch of the Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana, Hanson Obiri-Yeboah, told Citi News on Monday that the school management had begun addressing some of the challenges they raised last week.

“We decided to call off the strike. Our demands for the short-term have been met. Things like the sockets have been fixed, ceiling fans, louver blades have been fixed and the washrooms are in good shape now so we decided to suspend the strike as we look at the long-term and short-term…Effective this morning, we’ve suspended the strike so we are calling on students to come back and lecturers are going to teach from now.”

Meanwhile, most students who were seen on the school’s campus on Monday, were unaware that the lecturers had resumed work, as some were seen studying on their own in groups.

But Hanson Obiri-Yeboah, said he was optimistic that studies will return to normal by noon on Tuesday, adding that the leadership of the lecturers’ union had publicized notices of their resumption to duty.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Lecturers of the institution laid down their tools a week ago, over what they described as “very deplorable” teaching and learning conditions.

[contextly_sidebar id=”fGcwXb4hFuior4mTZAgwzgELqcz3pfJH”]The strike is meant to mount pressure on the school authorities and get government to address their issues.

According to the Organizer of the Accra Technical University branch of the Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana, Hanson Obiri-Yeboah, “The working conditions as at now, at the Accra Technical University, are very deplorable and not in a good state. Lecturing and scheduling has become very difficult for both lecturers and students.”

“That’s why we’ve abandoned the class, and are seeking that management will address the situation as soon as possible, so that the learning environment will be healthy, safe and very conducive for teaching and learning,” he added.

Citi News’ Akosua Ofewaa Opoku, who visited the campus to find out how the “very deplorable” teaching and learning conditions looked like, reported that there were insufficient seats in the lecture halls to accommodate the large student population.

She also noted that, almost all sockets and fans in each classroom were not functioning, and there were also no projectors in any of the lecture halls, whereas places of convenience had a pungent smell.

In the Science Laboratory, equipment required for practicals, are unavailable, with the few available ones in bad shape.

Printers and toners are also unavailable, making teaching and learning difficult. There is also no public address system to lecture, compelling lecturers to scream on top of their voices.

These unpleasant conditions informed the strike action.

Even though students of the institution acknowledge that drastic measures must be taken in addressing the challenges, they have expressed concern about the disadvantages the strike will have on their academics.

They are therefore appealing to management to call off the strike as soon as possible for lectures to begin.

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By: Marie-Franz Fordjoe/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The lecturers declared a strike on Tuesday over what they say are deplorable conditions at the school, which they claim negatively affects teaching and learning.

[contextly_sidebar id=”1wEVmGYE7I4wuseWYSkVOjZntNTBdGRs”]The situation appears to have forced the management of the University into action, with assurances from them that the numerous issues that plague the school will be addressed by the end of the week.

Speaking to Citi News, the Chairman of the  Local branch of the Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG), Jones Ntiamoah, said that once their challenges are addressed, the lecturers would return to the classrooms.

“Yesterday [Wednesday], at 4:00pm, the local executives together with the national executives met management and after a long deliberation, we were able to agree that the issues we have raised, numbering about eight, could be addressed by the end of the week,” he said

“We could then meet on Monday, assess the situation and if it demands that we return to the classroom, we’ll do so. We are very hopeful with the assurances given us by the acting Vice Chancellor that come Monday, something positive will come.”

He insisted that their strike had the backing of the students who they would contract to assess the work that was being done and report back to them.

“The action we’ve taken has the support of almost everybody on campus including students. They are ready to sacrifice lectures for those basic conditions to be met. I’m even meeting the SRC executives this afternoon. We want them to go round and assess the ongoing works and report accordingly,” he said

“The issues concern basic classroom amenities; projectors, lecturers’ pulpits, sanitation issues, washrooms, water flow, sockets for projectors; basic things you’ll find in a typical University class.”

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By: Edwin Kwakofi/cititfmonline.com/Ghana

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According to them, despite repeated requests to the management of the school for the issues that persist at the University to be addressed, not much has been done.

Speaking on Eyewitness News on Tuesday, the Organizer of the Accra Technical University branch of the Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana, Hanson Obiri-Yeboah, said the teachers had decided to down tools in order to force the management to address their concerns.

“The working conditions as at now at the Accra Technical University are very deplorable and not in a good state. Lecturing and scheduling has become very difficult for both lecturers and students,” he said.

“That’s why we’ve abandoned the class and are seeking that management will address the situation as soon as possible so that the learning environment will be healthy, safe and very conducive for teaching and learning.”

According to Mr. Obiri-Yeboah, the students and lecturers lacked the basic materials they needed to facilitate academic activities at the school.

He added that the state of the equipment that were available posed serious threats to the safety of the entire population of the school that use these facilities.

“There are certain equipment and environment that you need to lecture. As a lecturer, I’m supposed to use a projector for students to be able to see what I’m teaching. But the sockets aren’t working, there are open wiring systems, nothing is working. Even the tables and chairs are not enough. Students are standing outside, while students are sitting on tables and sharing on chair which isn’t advisable and is causing health concerns to both lecturers and students,” he lamented.

“Three days ago, it rained heavily and the roof leaks badly and with the exposed wires, it could be dangerous for the students and any disaster can happen. That state of the classrooms is very bad. In the Science Laboratory, the equipment to teach the students practicals aren’t there. Those which are available are in bad shape. Printers and toners aren’t available, making teaching and learning difficult. The number of students is large, but there are no public address systems to lecture. You have to shout when teaching. The washrooms are in a very bad state, you can’t survive the scent.”

He bemoaned the failure of management to deal with the issues that have been raised despite the numerous complaints brought to them by the lecturers.

“All our problems are because of management, they aren’t supervising, directing or buying the things that are needed. We’ve been having both formal and informal meetings with management and we notified them that if they don’t do this before the 18^th [of September], we would act. We are now in October but still work hasn’t been done.”

Mr. Obiri-Yeboah was however coy when asked whether they had notified the National Labour Commission (NLC) of their strike, insisting that their action was legal.

“We’ve not got there yet, the situation is that we can’t go to the classroom, we can’t go to the classrooms. We have nothing to work with. It’s very legitimate, it’s lawful. We are not above the law.”

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By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The school’s authority has agreed to fix a new date for them to take their papers.

[contextly_sidebar id=”Hg4K326vwq7pBS6oa6y5RpSUrFhWagLE”]Some students of the school, including those in their final year, staged a protest on Monday against a decision by the institution to disallow them entry into the examination hall over the late payment of fees.

They said even though the University extended the initial deadline of April 7 to May 25, with a GhC50 penalty, the said day was a holiday and most banks were closed hence their inability to pay their balance on time.

The school’s management which has not publicly reacted to the issue insists that the students failed to comply with the directive to pay their fees on the set date.

But the President of the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) of the school, Peter Kumordzie, told Citi News on Tuesday that the school has softened its stance on the matter, and will now allow the affected students write their exams.

He noted however that, students who paid their fees after the deadline will be charged to pay a penalty.

“We’ve resolved it; and students will now take their exams. Those who have not paid their fees yet will pay a penalty and take their exams subsequently. They will organize a special exam for them and it will be just like the regular exams. So management is taking care of that,” he said.

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By: Caleb Kudah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Accra Technical University: Embattled students to write exams appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to them, even though the University extended the initial deadline of April 7 to May 25, with a GhC50 penalty, the said day was a holiday and most banks were closed hence their inability to pay their balance on time.

They are thus calling on the authorities to allow them write the exams.

One of the affected students complained to Citi News that “we were given a deadline to register on May 25, and the date was a public holiday, the banks were not working.”

“This school had made it clear to us that they don’t receive physical cash unless banker’s draft. So we came here on Friday with our drafts and they refused to key us into the system claiming that 25^th May was the deadline. They were also claiming that they were here on the said deadline but they didn’t come. Even if you work for a half day it should be from 9am to 12pm. And it even rained on that 25^th May. They are refusing us, meanwhile we’ve paid our fees and they are telling us to defer for a whole year. It’s not fair. They should come and explain to us. We’ve been deprived of a paper,” the student lamented.

Another student who also insisted that she had paid her fees in full at the bank, was turned away from writing the exams because he had not been registered.

“I was on Obuasi Municipal Assembly common fund scholarship. When I gained admission, the Assembly gave me a cheque of GHc1,000 and a letter attached to the cheque that they will pay the arrears later, and the school accepted the letter. I realized that my name wasn’t part of those who were cleared to write the exams and when I inquired, the school said they can’t wait for the rest of the cheque from the Assembly,” another aggrieved student lamented.

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Pop singer, Justin Bieber, has been accused of attempted robbery, a Los Angeles Police Department official said on Tuesday, following media reports that he had tried to snatch a young woman’s mobile telephone.

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