HOLICOE DIGEST

A publication by Holy Child College of Education

MAY 20022 | Issue 3

HOME ECONOMICS DEPARTMENT OF Mrs. Bridget Wayoe, the Head of Department mentioned
Editorial Board
“HOLICOE “ORGANISES AN EXHIBITION that the exhibition will also include modeling where

students gave descriptions of their choice of fabric,
Editor-in-Chief reasons for their choice, and pattern selection using

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Dolphyne The Department of Home Economics of the Holy

their various body measurements. Students are

Child College of Education on Friday, April 22
organised an exhibition to showcase food and expected to include features like, darts, gathers, and

clothing items made by the students. pleats. The fit is the final view of scoring”, she added.
Associate Editor Explaining the purpose of the gathering, Ms
The Acting Principal of the College, Dr. Francis Hull
Genevieve Nketsiah, a tutor from the department
Mr. Lawrence Ewusi-Mensah noted that the exhibition was to utilize the Pattern Adams applauded Home Economics Department for

Drafting course students studied the previous
putting up a great show and grooming the ladies to be
semester and to build on the semester’s course

role model to the communities they will find themselves
which is Clothing Construction where students were
Member expected to use the knowledge acquired to produce in the near future.
Mr. Emmanuel S. Gillette a self-garment. She further stated that “the
exhibition will be graced with modeling as students The modeling had Mr. Emmanuel Gillette, Ms.

fit their garments to know whether there are faults Charity A. Ampong and Ms. Genevieve Huedenu as

or not.”
Touching on Food Preservation as an aspect of the Judges.
Writers exhibition, Ms Charity A. Ampong revealed that the
Racheal Kulliams students made use of some preservatives like
vinegar, salt and sugar to preserve selected food
Baaba Derby
items. The various preservatives were used to

inhibit, innactivate or kill micro organisms that

cause food spoilage. The vinegar had to be prepared
to maintain a neutral PH in order to work
Photographers effectively. Foods preserved included sprout fish,
Dorcas Manso Beef, Perishable vegetables, and fruits. As part of
the exhibition, the students also prepared sweetens
Emmanuella Nyarko
like Jam, Jellies marmalades, etc.

According to Ms Charity A. Ampong, Food Handling

and Preservation begins right from the farm
through to the table and, the essence of this
procedure is to teach students how to preserve
foods for use at a later date, add value, bring variety
and eventually prevent waste.


Curriculum Deficiency Syndrome: An impediment to holistic basic Education in

Ghana.
By James Hinson, Science Tutor/Quality Assurance Officer.

The rapid technological development associated with globalization, and the

quest to develop smart ways of life has come with attendant human problems
that need urgent solution. Solving the problems of the 21st century era
demands individuals with critical and analytical thinking dispositions, who can
unravel the myth surrounding the solution to the problems (Facione, 2015). The
quest to produce citizens with critical thinking dispositions and problem
solving skills has changed the face of teaching in the 21st century. Nations the
world over, have and continue to revise their educational curricula to
encompass the skill-demands of the 21st century which form the requisite
competences required for modern day living. The implementation of the
revised educational curricula has a lot of implications for the basic school
teacher as teachers are the key factors on which nations develop and
implement their curriculum. Teachers thus have become the main fulcrum
around which the educational tapestry of every nation revolves.
Many countries have embarked on major curricula reforms to increase and
develop the professional teacher competence which is invariably linked with
teacher development for work. Countries the world over have developed
modern approaches to teaching and learning, formed teacher professional
bodies, developed professional teaching standards and established national
teaching boards aimed at ensuring high standards of teacher professionalism in
the classroom. It goes without saying that teacher ‘professionality’ training has
become a key component in teacher education in today’s world. These
The current economic demand on the Ghanaian
strategies put in place by education experts are intended to develop the
competences of the teacher to perform creditably in the professional act of citizenry poses lots of constrains on their
teaching. However, notwithstanding these innovations, educationist in Africa livelihoods and teachers are no exception.
keeps complaining of the continuous falling standards of education on the
Teachers must seek to find motivation in the
continent. Ghana is not an exception. This baffling situation casts doubts about
the competency of classroom teacher practices which is aimed at equipping the success of the pupils who are entrusted in their
citizenry with the intended knowledge, skills and attitudes. care. Teachers must see their profession more as
The professional practices of the teacher in the classroom forms an integral
a calling and so dedicate a lot of their time in
part towards achieving the set objectives of the curriculum. Teachers are
expected to engage in standardised professional practices which are aimed at dealing with issues of pupils’ development.
developing the capabilities of the basic school pupils with the intent to achieve Teachers must be interested in the performance
set goals. Effective teachers use different approaches depending on their
of the pupils both in and out of class. Especially
student’s needs, their learning objectives and the types of knowledge they
intend to impart (Brion & cordeiro, 2019). These professional practices define where teachers stay with pupils in the
the philosophies, integrity, credibility and the identity of the teacher. It also communities, they must see the pupils as their
demonstrates the competency and skills possessed by the teachers in
delivering the basic school curriculum. Basic school teachers are expected to
own children and do all they can in their means
engage in reflective practices, action research, assessment with immediate to help pupils to progress in their academics.
feedback, monitoring of pupils learning, provision of remedial to pupils who The way forward
may miss out on lesson content, and sharing of relevant information that
contributes to teacher professionalism development(Roberts, 2012). Teachers
Teachers must engage pupils in curriculum
thus play a key role in offering quality education to pupils (Hoy & Hoy, 2013). extension activities, particularly for pupils who
It is very important to note that, because of the rigid nature of the daily may be having academic challenges with some
schedules of the basic school curriculum in Ghana, teachers do not have the
flexibility to professionally engage pupils who may miss out on the daily
topics in the classroom. Innovative pedagogies
instructions. Research suggests that a sizable number of basic school teachers such as flipped teaching, personalized learning,
engage in practices that fall short of the professional practices expected of project-based learning, blended learning and
them. The basic school curriculum for a particular day is so loaded with
activities from dawn to dusk such that there is no room for the teacher to
concept mapping could be adopted to help pupils
attend to some pressing instructional needs of some pupils. The basic school to develop some mastery of the basic lessons
curriculum however, expects pupils to develop certain key competences at taught while engaging pupils with exercises to
each stage of the way. These competencies expected of pupils at each stage of
the education ladder are known as performance standards. Performance
help them develop control over their difficulties.
standards being a key component of the curriculum is premised on the fact that Teachers must engage parents to offer
lower level topics form the basis for upper foundational development and as assistance to pupils during their stay at home,
such pupils are expected to be guided to do a mastery of the basic lessons so as
to develop control over the upper level lessons. Although most research in
particularly during vacation. Parental assistance
classroom teacher professional practices have identified time constraints as is very important towards monitoring the
the limiting factor preventing teachers from addressing the challenges of performance of the child at home.
pupils requiring assistance and remedial on daily basis, the challenges inherent
in the curriculum implementation process have compounded more the
Teachers must always mark and rate exercises
problems of the basic school teacher. The curriculum did not come with primary and assignment promptly and discuss the
readers and this makes it difficult for teachers to select the right materials that feedback with pupils while helping them to use
will complement pupils reading in the classroom. The challenge with this
practice is that it prevents the education sector from ensuring standardization the feedback in developing their learning.
especially when the National standardised test for basic schools in Ghana is Teachers should develop the habit of
staring at our faces. The curriculum in most cases fails to identify the exact continuously engaging in action research in the
materials which should be used in performing particular activities in the basic
classroom to develop expected competencies. There is also a mismatch classroom to identify pupils who may be facing
between the expected performance standards and the activities needed to academic challenges during instruction so that
develop those standards. One can also question the effectiveness of the pre- they nip it in the bud to prevent it from evolving
implementation training teachers went through which failed to equip teachers
with the needed skills required for teaching the new curriculum. Also the to academic difficulty.
numerous interventions put in place to complement pupils reading in the basic The district directorate of education must engage
schools tend to confuse teachers since the content of one intervention may in continuous refresher training to equip
conflict with the other, especially where basic schools are on more than one
intervention. teachers with the skills required for competently
delivering the basic school curriculum.
All these problems impact heavily on the classroom teacher preventing them
from engaging effectively with pupil’s on daily basis. These short falls continue
on daily basis till such a time that the pupils go to the next stage of the
educational ladder. It can therefore be said that pupils move to a succeeding

"Be yourself, but

class without mastery of the curricular content of the preceding year. The
piling up of pupil’s academic difficulty with time develops into a situation
known as curriculum deficiency, and when pupils’ are unable to cope with
academic work because of the stress posed by the academic difficulty, then it

make that self

becomes a curriculum deficiency syndrome (CDS). Pupils with the CDS do not
show adequate performance standards expected of their class and so lack the
competencies required for continuing academic work. This situation if not
curtailed may result in a downward trend in education preventing the state

exactly what God

from developing the citizenry with critical thinking and problem solving skills.
Pupils who cannot cope with the succeeding year’s academic work may miss
out on education totally, requiring an intervention in order to continue their
education, whilst those who may cope a little, are bound to develop challenges

wants it to be"
which might prevent them from reaching their academic potentials. Some other
pupils may totally lose interest in education and may eventually drop out if
adequate measures are not put in place.
This situation coupled with certain sociological factors is serving as great

--Mother Cornelia
disincentive to some pupil’s continuous access to education. It can therefore be
said that CDS is a great threat to pupils’ education because it prevents pupils
who will grow to become informed citizens from developing their potential
academic prowls. CDS results from the inability of professional teachers to
engage in effective teacher practices required for developing basic school
pupils’ academic competences. Good teaching is an element of successful
student learning (Hattie, 2012).
Connelly


HOLY CHILD COLLEGE OF EDUCATION ORGANISES EASTER

SOCIALS FOR STUDENTS
By Rachael Weti Kuliams

Some dignitaries whose presence graced the

The Management of Holy Child event were; the Acting principal of the
College of Education in collaboration college, Dr. Francis Hull Adams, the College
Secretary, Rv. St. Joana Duker, the College
with the Chaplaincy Board and the Chaplain, Rv. Fr. Emmanuel Dolphyne and
SRC, has organized a one-day activity- some academic staff. The next activity was
packed funfair programme to treasure hunt. Here, students were asked to
go out of the hall, explore and locate
entertain its students on this year’s wrapped gifts, known as treasures, which
Easter Monday, 18th of April, 2022 at had been hidden at various places on
the Cornelia Connelly Hall. campus. The set time was announced and
almost all the students set out to look for
All over the world, people,
the hidden treasures. When the time allotted
particularly Christians do celebrate for that activity was over, all who found a
Easter in diverse ways. After treasure to pick were asked to step forward.
Nine students found nine treasures out of
celebrating the Easter (the
the ten. Whichever treasure one found was
resurrection of Christ) comes the hers to take. This event was followed by the
Monday which follows and happens musical chairs’ activity. Vida Asamoah and
to be a public holiday in Ghana which Monica Ampofowaah emerged winners at
the end of the first and second rounds
is mostly liked and enjoyed by all. On respectively. There was pick and act as well,
such a day, religious groups, families, and Jennifer Addai Frimpomaa and Francisca
institutions and individuals go to Tandoh were declared winners at the end.
There was also mellow musical interlude in
beaches, organize parties, fun-fairs
the course of the events, which allowed the
and even embark on trips or students to dance amidst the activities.
excursions. This year, as part of the Finally, there came the long-awaited eating
competition. At the end of the first round,
annual Easter celebration, the
Nad Boakye was declared the winner and
Chaplaincy, Management and the SRC Faustina Nsakwa for the second round.
thought climaxed the celebration Popcorn and prizes were given to winners at
with a one-day fun-packed event to the end of each activity.
The entire programme was fun, amusing and
entertain the student populace. memorable and as students, we are like
Some of the activities that took place Oliver Twist; we look forward to the
at the programme were; treasure Management and the SRC to organize more
of such programmes in the years to come
hunt, pick and act, eating
competition, musical chairs and a live
performance by the Golden Squad
Brass Band.
The programme started around
11:30am, as students were welcomed
to the venue with an impressive
performance by the band. The
euphonious sound of the brass band
got many on their feet as they danced
rhythmically. The students present
danced for a while as they waited for
the other dignitaries to arrive. When
the place was set, the M.C, who
happened to be the entertainment
prefect of the college, Mercy Cherbu
"Be yourself, but
took over and the rest of the
activities continued.
make that self
exactly what God
wants it to be"
--Mother Cornelia
Connelly
 HOLY CHILD COLLEGE DONATES TO JUBILEE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
BY: STAFF WRITER

The Management and Students of Holy Child College of Education in Takoradi on

Saturday, April 16, 2022 made a donation to the Jubilee Catholic Children's Hospital at
Apowa.
Presenting the items, Dr. Francis Hull Adams, the Acting Principal, on behalf of the
Management and the Students said the items was to support the hospital in caring for
the patients who visit the facility.
On his part, Dr. Samuel Owusu Manso, was full of gratitude to the Management and
Students of Holy Child College for the kind gesture.
Dr. Manso used the occasion to appeal to other individuals and organizations to emulate
the example of the Management and students of Holy Child College by coming to
support the facility.
The items which included bundles of tissue paper and gallons of liquid soap cost a total
of GHC 2,231.00.
The amount was realized from the lenten charity exercise that was voluntarily
undertaking by students during the season of Lent.
The College delegation was led by Dr. Francis Hull Adams- Acting Principal, Mr. Kojo Prah-
The vice principal, chaplaincy board led by Rev. Fr Emmanuel Dolphyne, College Chaplain
secretary Rev. Sister Joan Duker, College Secretary together with the following tutors
Mr. Emmanuel Gillette, Mr. Amoako, Mr. Ike, Miss.Genevieve Nketiah, as well as Rev.
Srs. Martha Attakruh,SHCJ and Euphemina, SHCJ.
They were received at the hospital by Dr. Samuel Owusu, with the following in
attendance Rev. Fr. Francis Atta Aidoo, Mrs. Edna Ziekah, Ms. Francisca Viagbedor, Ms.
Charity Beccles and Ms. Joana Essien.

FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL’S MANAGEMENT APPIONTS MR. EWUSI-MENSAH AS DEPUTY

COORDINATOR FOR TEACHER PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
DESK By: STAFF WRITER

-DR FRANCIS HULL ADAMS

BEST OF WISHES IN THE EXAMINATION

On behalf of College Management and
the staff I extend our goodwill and
best of wishes to all level 300
students writing their End of
Semester Examination. May the Holy
Child Jesus remind you of everything
you’ve studied and may He be on your
side throughout the examination
period.
Whilst we seek for the help of Holy Child Jesus, I wish

to also remind you of our cherished value of zero

tolerance to examination malpractices. The College will
not defend any student who
engages in any form of
examination malpractices. Do independent work. Do
the best you can and leave the rest to Holy Child Jesus.
God bless you.

The Management of Holy Child College

of Education has appointed Mr.
Lawrence Ewusi-Mensah as the
Deputy Coordinator for Teacher
Professional Learning (TPL).
His appointment takes effect from
June 1, 2022.
Mr Ewusi-Mensah by this appointment
will work with the Coordinator; to
plan, implement, supervise, monitor
and evaluate all professional
development activities in the college.
According to a press statement signed
by Dr. Francis Hull Adams, the acting
Principal of the college, Mr. Ewusi-
Mensah is expected to assist the
coordinator to present a report of
Teacher Professional Learning
activities to the principal at the end of
the semester.
Mr Ewusi-Mensah is a senior staff of
the College and the current Secretary
of the Academic Staff.

QUANTITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS WORKSHOP
ORGANISED FOR HCCE STAFF
Lawrence Ewusi-Mensah, Lecturer & Associate
Lawrence Ewusi-Mensah, Lecturer &
Associate Editor
A three-day workshop on quantitative data analysis
was organized for the academic and administrative
staff of Holy Child College of Education from 9th to
11th May, 2022 at the Staff Common Room.
The workshop organized by the Institute of
Education, University of Cape Coast was aimed at
sharpening the analytical skills of the staff through
the use of quantitative analysis softwares such as
the SPSS and MS Excel. A similar workshop was held
by University of Cape Coast in the second quarter of
last year to update the academic staff on how to
conduct research with a particular focus on
effective ways of writing research introduction and
reviewing of literature.
Speaking at the function, the lead facilitator of the
workshop and immediate past Vice-Chancellor of
University of Cape Coast, Professor Ampiah-Ghartey
admitted that dealing with huge size of data in
research work manually leads to inaccurate figures
and invalid results, hence the need to have
knowledge on adopting technological software that
can better process, analyse, interpret and present
data in a more accurate and precise manner, devoid
of infelicities or infractions.
The facilitators assisted the staff to install the SPSS
software on their laptops. Prof. Ampiah-Ghartey
took the staff through series of lessons, including
using the SPSS software to create data files and to
enter data, screening and cleaning of data,
descriptive statistics and correlation analysis
among others.
Ms Veronica Amoah from the Languages
Department gave the vote of thanks after the three-
day workshop.
Prof. Ampiah-Ghartey
TRIPLE TRACK HITS EXAMINATION WRITING IN
COLLEGES OF EDUCATION
Editor
The End of Semester Examinations to mark the end of the first semester of the
2021/2022 Academic Year of the Colleges of Education affiliated to the
University of Cape Coast began on Monday April 4, 2022 across the country,
and students of Holy Child College were of no exception.
Due to the triple track system the colleges are operating as a result of lack of
space for all levels, this year’s End of Semester Examinations are being written
in batches. Though this rationing process is alien to the colleges, authorities
claim it is the only option left for now. The triple track is not being witnessed
in the exams only but also in the mainstream lectures, where students stay
home for six weeks and come back to campus for six weeks.
On Monday April 4, the first-year students of the college had a taste of their
first ever End of Semester Exams amidst tight invigilation alertness by Mr.
Habib, the Assessment Officer of the College and his team. Though majority of
the candidates seemed to have prepared adequately for the exams, a sizeable
number of them seemed to be apprehensive and a bit tensed but they were all
confident that they would come out with flying colours. The last paper of the
freshers was written on Friday April 15, 2022 and they went down a day after
the exams.
The third-year students, on the other hand, began their session of the exams
on Monday May 16, 2022. Courses like Methods of Teaching Primary School
Mathematics, Global Studies in Africa and Issues in Family Finances were
written on the first day of the examinations. Invigilation, as usual, was very
tight and the candidates also comported themselves very well, making the
exams incident-free. The police were there to protect the candidates and the
scripts. The exams for the Level 300 students will end on May 26, 2022 and they
will go down on May 28, 2022.
The last batch of students to taste this year’s end of semester exams will be
the Level 200 students. Their session begins from May 30, 2022 to June 10, 2022
after which they will go down. Just before they are getting ready to leave, the
Level 100 students will report on May 29, 2022 to begin the second semester of
the academic year. Two weeks later, the final year students will report to
campus to begin the last semester of the four-year Bachelor of Education
programme, after staying home for more than half a year.
One will hasten to describe this ‘contrapuntal’ academic calendar as a
complete departure from the norm, looking at the various ramifications it has
on guardians, students and the college teacher in particular. In fact, this
water-tight calendar does not provide a breathing space for the college
teacher aside the financial burden it has brought on parents and the
apprehension on students.
It is about time stakeholders took the bull by the horn and took pragmatic
steps to mitigate this albatross hanging around our neck. The necessary
infrastructure and policies should be put in place to avert any future academic
downturn in the colleges. Stakeholders should act now.
To our Level 200 and 300 students, we say “Ayekoo” for the good fight; and to
the fresh and the final year students, we say “Akᴐaba” to campus. We wish
you a happy stay.
ANNOUNCEMENTS & RANDOM PICTURES
Mother Cornelia Connelley