Fresh students numbering more than 200, admitted into the National Teaching Council’s Postgraduate Diploma in Education programme for Non-Professional Graduate Teachers have been formally received into academic life at a matriculation ceremony held at the Tamale Campus of the University for Development Studies on Saturday, May 23, 2026.

The ceremony, solemn in character but rich in significance, marked an important academic milestone for the new students, many of whom are already graduates serving or preparing to serve in Ghana’s education sector but require professional teacher preparation to strengthen their practice.

Declaring the congregation open, the Registrar of the University for Development Studies, Mr. Nurudeen Issah Abubakar, reminded the gathering that matriculation was not a mere ceremonial requirement, but a formal act of admission into the privileges, responsibilities and discipline of the University. He indicated that by presenting themselves for matriculation, the students were accepting the rules, regulations and academic traditions of the University, as well as the obligations that come with pursuing a professional programme hosted by UDS in partnership with the National Teaching Council.

The Pro Vice-Chancellor of UDS, Prof. Elliot Haruna Alhassan, in his address, welcomed the fresh students into the University community and congratulated them on taking a decisive step towards professionalising their teaching careers. He observed that teaching remained one of the most consequential professions in national development because the classroom remained the place where the future of every society was quietly shaped.

Prof. Alhassan said the University for Development Studies was proud to host the programme because of its own historic commitment to development-oriented education, community service and the preparation of graduates who are not only knowledgeable, but also useful to society. He urged the matriculants to approach the programme with seriousness, humility and discipline, stressing that professional teacher education required more than the acquisition of certificates. It required character, ethics, patience, competence and a genuine commitment to the learner.

He further encouraged the students to take full advantage of the academic resources, faculty expertise and institutional culture of UDS, noting that their training must ultimately reflect in improved classroom practice, stronger learner engagement and higher professional standards in Ghana’s education system.

The Deputy Registrar of the National Teaching Council, Dr. Cecelia Esinam Agbey, also addressed the ceremony and underscored the importance of the programme to the professional regulation of teaching in Ghana. She explained that the National Teaching Council remained committed to ensuring that teachers in the country met the required professional standards, not only in subject knowledge, but also in pedagogy, ethics and classroom competence.

Dr. Agbey indicated that the Postgraduate Diploma in Education programme for Non-Professional Graduate Teachers was designed to give graduate teachers the professional foundation required for effective teaching. She urged the students to see the programme not as a hurdle to be crossed, but as a transformative opportunity to become better prepared, better guided and better equipped professionals.

According to her, the teacher of today must be reflective, innovative and responsive to the changing needs of learners. She therefore charged the matriculants to embrace the programme with commitment and to allow the training to shape their attitudes, sharpen their methods and deepen their sense of responsibility to the children and communities they serve.

A key moment of the ceremony was the administration of the matriculation oath. The fresh students, standing together as one body, pledged to abide by the statutes, rules and regulations governing their studentship and to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the University and the teaching profession. After the oath, they were directed to sign the matriculation book online, completing the formal process of their admission into the University community.

The significance of the occasion was not lost on the students. For many of them, the ceremony represented more than an academic formality. It marked their transition into professional teacher formation, a journey expected to refine their skills, strengthen their confidence and prepare them to meet the demands of contemporary education. It also placed upon them a higher responsibility to become role models, mentors and agents of positive change in the classrooms and communities where they serve.

Present at the ceremony were the Dean of the Faculty of Education, Prof. Mohammed Ibrahim Gunu; the Vice Dean, Prof. Issah; the Director of Academic Affairs, Mr. Abdul Wahab Yahaya; officials of the Faculty of Education; representatives of the Directorate of Public Affairs; and other members of the University community.

The ceremony ended with a renewed call on the matriculants to uphold the dignity of the teaching profession and to justify the confidence reposed in them by the National Teaching Council, the University for Development Studies and the nation at large.

Story by:
Abdul Hayi Moomen
(UDS Media)