Foso College Of Education

Admission Policies

Preamble

The use of admission criteria to determine entrance eligibility to any college of education is as old as higher education globally. The purpose of this criterion is to provide a brief overview of college admission criteria employed in Foso College of Education. The policy is to provide transparency in the admission processes and practices at Foso College of Education. To help achieve this, admission committee adhere to the policies, processes and time lines established by the College. The college is committed to equality of opportunity and no applicant should be treated unfairly to any protected characteristics. All applicants are considered on their individual merits. An applicant’s qualification, personal statement, reference and background circumstances are considered by the admissions committee when making a decision on admission. Foso College of Education aims to admit highly motivated applicants who can demonstrate a passion and commitment to their chosen area of study, as well as the potential to succeed academically. The College admissions committee (Academic Board) is always available to offer information and guidance on the application process to applicants and those supporting them.

Purpose / Objectives

The purpose of this policy is to:

  • Provide full and part-time higher professional education courses which meet the changing educational, cultural and personal needs of society.
  • Enable individual students from diverse social and educational backgrounds to participate in our courses.

The College, through the procedures which are used to assess applications and offer places to deserving applicants seeks to:

  1. Provide equal opportunity to all qualified applicants in Ghana and elsewhere to enroll in our teacher education programmes.
  2. Ensure transparent and fairness in the admission processes of Accra College of Education.
  3. Provide equal opportunity to all staff both teaching and non-teaching without discrimination.

Scope/Application

This policy applies to the members of the College community and freshmen and women who
are interested in becoming part of the college community.

Policy Statement

To receive an offer of a place of study at Foso College of Education (FOSCO) , applicants are required to demonstrate that they have the relevant academic qualifications at the required grades. The qualifications attained to gain successful entry to FOSCO must be equal to or above the established minimum entry level for the qualification(s) being presented. Entry requirements to the College can be found at the College website. In situations where the number of applications greatly exceeds the number of places available, achieving the minimum entry requirements does not guarantee entry to the college. Applicants should also be able to demonstrate that they have the necessary personal, social skills and intellectual aptitudes required for successful performance at the college. To enable the Admissions committee to determine whether or not to offer an applicant a place of study at the college, three main sources of information are examined:

  • Academic Qualifications
  • Tutor /Teacher Reference
  • The Personal Statement
  • Inclusiveness

Supporting Procedures:

4.1 Academic Qualifications Provided: If the applicant’s qualifications are of the level required for entry to the college, we will consider them for the programme applied for. We will often request specific grades in specific subjects to ensure that applicants have the required background knowledge to succeed on their chosen programme. The college aims to be as supportive as we can be to all applicants, irrespective of their particular learner journey. Key aspects of our policy in relation to qualifications taken in FOSCO are outlined below. Overall entry requirements Our overall entry requirements for applicants are at least a D in the case of SSSCE and C6 for WASSCE grade in the three core subjects: English, Mathematics and Science/Social Studies and any three elective subjects. Applicants should meet the required number of different subjects at specific grades.

4.2 Tutor/Teacher Reference: Each applicant should provide two (2) referees and submit recommendation letters from them. This is useful in providing a ‘second opinion’ on the appropriateness of your application to your chosen area of study. We understand that your Tutors/Teacher will have first-hand experience of your performance in education and therefore consider carefully their views. Any predicted grades for outstanding qualifications noted by the referee also help to provide an indication of what we can expect from the applicant. That said, the reference is considered alongside the information presented by the applicant themselves and cannot, by itself, determine the outcome of the application.

4.3 Eligibility: We select applicants who create a positive impression and demonstrate their enthusiasm and suitability for the programme they have chosen, in their own words. Specifically, we want applicants to demonstrate the following:

  • Knowledge and understanding of the subject
  • Motivation for the programme applied for
  • Evidence of commitment, motivation and ability to cope with the challenges of college life  
  • Skills derived from non-academic extra-curricular activities such as engagement in sports, the arts, voluntary or community work, work experience or paid employment.

4.4. Inclusiveness: We take into consideration the circumstances of applicants who have experienced particular disadvantage in relation to their education. Examples include: applicants who have experienced a serious illness or disability which has had an impact on their studies; those who have spent a significant amount of their life in the deprived areas and those who attended secondary school in the deprived communities in Ghana. Special quota of is given to female applicants upon available facilities. 10% of the female intake is given to females from deprived communities in Ghana.

4.5 Gender Responsiveness: The college in the next five years should balance the gender disparity between female and male intake which is 40% and 60% in favour of the males Admission committee should always be gender sensitive and include the college gender champion. The gender champion should always ensure that the college admission is gender responsive and 4.5 above is always adhered to

Responsibility for Implementation

The overall responsibility for Admission Policy in Foso College of Education is that of the College Council. The Day-to-day responsibility for ensuring this policy is implemented, is delegated to the College Principal, Vice Principal, and the Academic Board which comprises of all Heads of Department, and others.

Responsibility for Monitoring, Implementation and Compliance

It is the Quality Assurance Unit to ensure the implementation, compliance, monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of the policy. Status 6 Draft

Key Stakeholders

-Staff
-Students

Approval Body

The College Governing Council

Initiating Body

Admissions Committee

 

Definition of terms

ADMISSION: In this policy document, admission refers to the process of selecting qualified applicants to enroll or become trainees of this College who will eventually become professional teachers for basic schools in Ghana.

Related Legislation:

Colleges of Education Act 2012 Act (847)

Related Policy and Other Documents

Harmonized Statutes Harmonized Scheme of Service Harmonized Conditions of Service.

Effective Date

 September 2017

Review Date

7 September, 2020 17. Key Words Foso College of Education, Admission Policy

Owner / Sponsors

Principal Admissions Committee

Author

College Council