Al-Faruq College of Education at Wenchi is the only Islamic College of Education in the Bono Region. The College is opened to Non-Muslims as well. Since its absorption by the government in 2015, the institution has not seen much in the area of infrastructure.
In an interview with a Citi News Reporter monitored by the News Desk of Honestynewsgh Principal of the College, Mr. Wahab Sualihu stated that “We are now in our fourth year. When the College was absorbed by the government of Ghana, we were given seven massive facilities. These include a 4-Storey hostel facility and a cafeteria. We also got a 4-Storey lecture hall and a laboratory, a multi-purpose structure including a 2000 capacity auditorium, a 2-storey administration block and the Principal’s bungalow and a basic school from Primary one to the Junior High School. Unfortunately, all these projects stalled and as we speak now we are still using existing facilities which was designed to be a basic school”.
The situation is affecting the enrollment of qualified applicants into the College to be trained as teachers. Out of about 700 applications that were received, only 350 applications were accepted and admitted into the College due to the lack of facilities and infrastructure.
The situation has compelled the school authorities to convert a Mosque into a dining hall and sometimes as a classroom and assembly hall.
Mr. Ali Mustapha, Head of English Language Department in an interaction with Citi News indicated that “It is affecting our delivery because when I get into the classroom, we need marker boards in all lecture halls. But when I decide to have a lecture in the Mosque cum lecture hall, there are no marker boards to use in teaching and demonstrating. I would only have to explain”.
The College is using its Internally Generated Fund (IGF) to construct a boys’ dormitory and an administration block and is calling on the government to help them complete these projects.
The Principal of the College is calling on the government of H. E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo through the Ministry of Education to come to their aid.
“This is the only College in the country that has an Islamic Curriculum approved by the National Accreditation Board and that is a great achievement for us. This means that students can now opt for Arabic education if they want, the first in the history of Ghana” the Principal added.
Source: Citi Newsroom
