GES PRO, Daniel Fenyi, Urges GTEC to Probe "Alarming" Surge in First Class Degrees from Colleges of Education

 

Mr. Daniel Fenyi, Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Education Service (GES), has sparked a heated national debate after urging the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to investigate what he describes as the “alarming” rate of First Class honours being awarded in the country’s Colleges of Education (CoEs).

In a viral social media post, Mr. Fenyi compared the graduation statistics of a university and a College of Education, each with a total of 485 graduates. His figures revealed a striking contrast in academic achievement:

University Graduation (485 graduates):

First Class: 9

Second Upper: 180

Second Lower: 208

Third Class: 63

College of Education Graduation (485 graduates):

First Class: 122

Second Upper: 195

Second Lower: 143

Third Class: 23

Pass: 8

The data shows that while only 1.8% of the university graduates earned First Class honours, a staggering 25% of the College of Education graduates did.

Mr. Fenyi questioned the credibility of these results, directing his concerns to GTEC:

> “Dear GTEC, when you’re done chasing fake Drs and Profs, turn your attention to the Colleges of Education. The way they churn out First Class in droves beats every known standard phenomenon on assessment. They have to teach us.”

His post quickly gained traction, drawing diverse and passionate reactions.

Some commentators defended the Colleges of Education. For instance, poet and education advocate Omar D’Poet argued that CoE students often display more discipline and focus than their university counterparts. 

According to him, their structured environment, which sometimes includes routine chores like weeding and scrubbing, helps them make effective use of their time, unlike many university students who enjoy greater freedom with less supervision. He also emphasized that the degrees awarded by CoEs are vetted and approved by the same universities that mentor them, suggesting that the standards remain credible.

On the other hand, critics questioned the academic rigour of CoE programmes. A user named Sandy Bridge dismissed the comparison as unfair, claiming that the content in Colleges of Education is less demanding than that of traditional universities. She argued, somewhat sarcastically, that since most CoE graduates are being trained to teach at the basic level, “they are going to teach Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star—why won’t they weed?”

This debate underscores broader concerns about grade inflation, academic standards, and the integrity of assessments across Ghana’s tertiary institutions. Although Colleges of Education have successfully transitioned into degree-awarding institutions, questions remain about whether their evaluation systems are properly harmonized with those of established universities.

Ultimately, the call is now on GTEC to thoroughly address these concerns and safeguard the value of First Class degrees across all institutions. The credibility of Ghana’s entire tertiary education system depends on ensuring that such distinctions remain consistent, rigorous, and unimpeachable.

Source: Think ofGhana