70th Annual New Year School and Conference Launched

The 70th Annual New Year School and Conference (ANYSC) of the School of Continuing and Distance Education of the College of Education has been officially launched. The School and Conference will be held in January 2019 on the theme “Building Strong Institutions for Democratic Consolidation in Ghana”.

Professor Olivia Kwapong, Head of the Department of Adult Education and Human Resource Studies, and a Director of ANYSC, gave a brief history of the Annual New Year School and Conference, and outlined the important role the School and Conference has played over the years in community development and capacity building. The School, which has been held regularly since 1948, brings together people from all walks of life to deliberate on topical issues of national and international interest. Resolutions from the School are presented to the relevant government and parastatal agencies, and these have over the years, played a key role in policy formulation.

Prof. Olivia Kwapong

Hajia Alima Mahama, Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, who performed the official launch, said the theme chosen for the ANYSC was very relevant, as there was the need for strong institutions, to ensure the smooth running of the country’s democratic structures.

Hajia Alima Mahama

The Minister took the opportunity to announce that government, through the Ministry for Local Government and Rural Development was committed to ensuring that Municipal, Metropolitan and District Chief Executives are elected by 2021. To this end, the Ministry was collaborating with institutions such as the Electoral Commission, the National Commission for Civic Education, and civil society organisations, to ensure that the populace is properly educated on the benefits of electing officials to serve in such capacities.

The Chief Director of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. Evans Aggrey Darkoh emphasized the contribution of strong institutions to the stability Ghana has enjoyed under the Fourth Republic, and was hopeful that deliberations at the School and Conference would further consolidate the nation’s democratic credentials and good governance. He stressed the commitment of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs to good governance and the fight against corruption, and pledged his Ministry’s support for the School and Conference.

        Dr. Aggrey Darkoh

The Chairman for the launch, Professor Jonathan Fletcher Acting Dean of the School of Education and Leadership, emphasized that the University will continue to make significant efforts to help build stronger institutions in the country through its academic work, research and extension. He called for strong collaboration between institutions and agencies in order to collectively find lasting solutions to the problems of the country.   

 

Prof. Jonathan Fletcher

 

Cross sections of the audience

Sub-themes of the 70th Annual New Year School and Conference include:

Legislative Powers and Strong Oversight: Dealing with Corruption and Consolidating Democracy

Judiciary Independence and Democratic Consolidation

Building Strong Institutions and strengthening Anti-corruption State Institutions 

Twenty-five years of Decentralization: Challenges and Prospects

Promoting Active Citizenship through Civic Education: The Role of NCCE in Consolidating Ghana’s Democratic Gains

The 70th Annual New Year School and Conference takes place from January 14th to 19th, 2018. Further details can be found at: http://coe.ug.edu.gh/content/70th-annual-new-year-school-application