The Provost of the College of Education Studies, Prof. Eric Magnus Wilmot, has stated that quality education can be achieved if educational administrators and management play their roles effectively and efficiently. He, however, noted that low quality of education in Ghana could not be attributed solely to poor teaching and learning. “Sometimes when you talk about low quality education, many people are looking at teaching and learning. The reality is that, it starts from the administrators and management of schools,” he opined. Prof. Wilmot made these statements at the maiden Alumni Homecoming of the Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (IEPA). The Homecoming, which was on the theme “Improving Educational Administration in Ghana: the Role of the IEPA Graduate”, brought together past students of IEPA to reunite and form a formidable association. The Provost wondered why public basic schools with scores of professional teachers record low marks in national examination, whilst he argued that private basic schools with half-baked teachers still perform creditably in countrywide exams. Accordingly, Prof. Wilmot pointed out that administration and supervision were the main bane of the poor standards of education in Ghana. He said people with the requisite administrative skills should be made to fill vacancies at the educational sector. Speaking further, Prof. Wilmot called on IEPA to roll out a continuous professional development programme for educational administrators and managers of schools to build their capacities in the profession. In an address, the Member of Parliament for Bia West, Hon. (Dr.) Augustine Tawiah, noted that there was the need for universities which are training educational administrators to adopt similar academic criteria to ensure that every administrator develops the same training skills so as to function optimally. He proposed the establishment of an Institute for Educational Leadership and Development at the Universities to groom educational administrators and managers and to equip them with the relevant leadership skills needed to effectively manage schools. Like the nursing, medical and legal professions, Hon. Tawiah, who is an old student of IEPA, recommended an institution for licensing educational administrators across the country. The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Ghartey Ampiah, who also spoke at the function, stressed that educational administrators were the key to addressing the educational challenges facing Ghana. He advised past students of IEPA across the length and breadth of the country to register with the alumni association to enable them to contribute their quota and urged them to remember IEPA in all their endeavours. The Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof. George K.T. Oduro, expressed grave concern at the way public administrators were made educational administrators at the expense of professionals with the requisite knowledge in educational administration. Unquestionably, he said, the move affected the quality and operations of schools. Prof. Oduro, who is a former Director of IEPA, called for re-branding of IEPA to enable the Institute to churn out fully-fledged graduates with unique leadership qualities for organisational operations. The Director of IEPA, Dr. Rosemary Serwaa Bosu, said that IEPA is the premier institute in the country that conducts research in educational issues to inform educational policy makers, as well as train educational planners and administrators at all levels of education in Ghana.This, she noted that IEPA could boast of a highly skilled, knowledgeable, experienced, energetic, committed and hard working professional workforce nationwide. Dr. Bosu stressed that IEPA has close collaboration with both the Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service in developing the capacity of their staff. Present at the lecture were past Directors, lecturers and alumni of the Institute. The ceremony witnessed the presentation of citations to past Directors in appreciation of their valuable services.
