The University of Cape Coast (UCC) has matriculated 29 Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Post Diploma Graduate in Education (PDGE) students for the 2020/2021 Academic Year.

Addressing the gathering on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dora Francisca Edu-Buandoh, explained that the ceremony had been organised to receive and matriculate the students who had been admitted into the Post-Diploma in Education programme of the Centre for Teacher Professional Development of the University of Cape Coast. 

She indicated that over the years, the Ministry of Health, through the Nursing and Midwifery Council had been considering several ways to train its officers at the national level and Tutors in the various health education institutions to improve the development of the curriculum of health education and also help them to teach effectively. 

“In this regard, educators in the sectors are expected to possess some professional attributes which define the characteristics that are readily definable and essential to effective teaching to enhance student learning and achievement. There is, therefore, the need for us to train health workers who would reflect on ways of helping their clients to acquire the best of health services needed to progress in today's complex health environment,” she said

She noted that as a result, the Nursing and Midwifery Council in collaboration with the Center for Teacher Professional Development put together a unique Diploma in Education Programme to train all the regional and national officers of the Council to enhance curriculum development, instructional supervision and above all the assessment of trainee skills and dispositions in the field of health.

The Registrar of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, Mr. Felix Nyante, encouraged the students to make good use of the opportunity to learn. He stated that the goal was to end paper-based licensure exams and run the exams online. This would be the first time in the history of Africa that a regulatory body would run its exams online and more nations continue to come to us to understudy us, he added. 

He praised the collaboration between the University of Cape Coast and the Nursing and Midwifery Council and further stated that the collaboration was not only for transfer of knowledge to NMC graduates but rather empowerment for them have multiple effects on the African region after their studies.

Present at the ceremony were Mr. Jeff Teye Nyame, the Registrar of UCC; Mr. Gideon Enoch Abbeyquaye, the Director of Academic Affairs, UCC; Prof. Eugene K. Darteh, the Dean of Students, UCC; and Prof. Eric Anane, the Head of Department of the Centre for Teacher Professional Development, UCC.