A group picture of the participants of the Language Clinic and Dignitaries
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies and Accountancy (UPSA), Prof. Abednego Okoe Feehi Amartey, has initiated a project dubbed ‘Community Initiative Programme (CIP)’, which is aimed at offering free vacation classes for students in senior and junior high schools.
Presenting his welcome address at the inauguration of the UPSA Language Centre on Tuesday, he explained that the CIP, which will be under the management of the newly inaugurated Language Centre, is the corporate social responsibility of the university to render free service to society.
According to him, the target group, who will come from Adentan and Madina, would receive tuition from the UPSA lecturers in all the academic disciplines.
He stated: “We are not happy about the falling standards in basic education but we believe that when the foundation is very strong, university education will be easier and this move is our effort to strengthen the base of education”.
The Coordinator of the Language Centre, Alhaji Mohammed Sadat, indicated that the activities of the Language Centre are categorized into internal and external schedules.
Internally, the Centre would handle all the university required language related courses which include Communication Skills, Business Communication, English, French, Scholarly Writing and Technical Writing.
Externally, it would run short courses in English Language and French (participation,) certificate courses in English and French (examinable), Translation Services, English, French, Akan, Hausa, Ga and Ewe, including specialized courses for students from non-English speaking countries.
“The Language Centre targets students, teachers, corporate institutions, journalists and persons from non-English speaking countries with interests to improve upon their language potentials” he disclosed.
The eighty (80) members of the teachers and educational workers who successfully completed the first language course were praised.
The coordinator who paid glowing tribute to the vice-chancellor for his interest to support the Centre indicated that in the short term, the Centre would use the UPSA lecture halls for its teaching purposes in readiness for an ultra-modern centre.
Prof. D.D Kuupole, former Vice-Chancellor, University of Cape Coast, speaking on current trends in language usage, commended UPSA for inaugurating a Language Centre.
According to him language is what defines humanity for it is the storehouse of knowledge and a vehicle for verbalization.
He regretted that the teaching of French in schools had been neglected over the years but was however quick to call on government to designate two colleges of education to the teaching and study of French as was done in the past.
The Minister of Zongo and Inner-City Development, Dr. Mustapha Hamid, who was also the chairman for the event, indicated that the world is evolving and Ghana as a partner cannot remain in its shells but move on with the new wave of language instructions.
“No matter one’s academic discipline, everyone needs language and not interpreters to communicate” he stated.
By Solomon Ofori