Mr Michael Yidana Mantamia, Principal of the Nursing and Midwifery Training College at Zuarungu in the Bolgatanga East District of the Upper East Region, has called for scientific research into examination grades of graduates from Senior High Schools (SHSs).
The call comes after SHS graduates who applied to pursue nursing and midwifery courses with excellent grades were unable to defend such results before the College’s admission interview panel.
“We have interviewed applicants with very good results, yet they seem not to be able to defend the results during interviews, and even if they are admitted perhaps because of the good results, sometimes they are not able to cope.”
“Some are able to cope up average, I may not be able to mention the names of schools, but this is an observation that we have made for some time now, We have not done a scientific study on that yet, therefore it cannot be conclusive.”
“Maybe, it could be an area to conduct a little observational study and perhaps a scientific study to see how we can help ourselves as a country,” Mr Mantamia said in an interview on the sidelines of a matriculation ceremony of first-year students of the College.
The College matriculated a total of 306 students, out of which 30 males and 102 females pursued Nurse Assistant Clinical (NAC) programme, 59 males and 94 females to Registered General Nursing (RGN) programme, while 21 female students were admitted for the Post Nurse Assistant Preventive (NAP)/NAC Midwifery programme.
Mr Mantamia said the College did not compromise on academic excellence, and for the past four years, scored 100 per cent in the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) diploma examination.
He said for the professional examination conducted by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana, their performance ranged between 72 per cent and 86 per cent for the past three years.
Mr Mantamia told the students that “It is one thing being matriculated and another achieving what you have been matriculated for, matriculation is not an end in itself, but a means to earn.”
“Your matriculation today will be meaningless unless it is linked up with total efforts which will culminate into making you a responsible professional nurse or midwife and so don’t be swollen-headed, but rather be humbled, focused and steadfast on why you came to this school,” he added.
Mr John Bosco Atanga, the Regent of the Zuarungu Chief, recalled instances where the management of the College sacked students for poor academic performance and they found their way to the Palace for the Chief to intervene on their behalf.
The Regent issued a stern caution to the students to desist from such acts, saying “The Palace is not to interfere in the work of the academic board of the school, so take your studies seriously.”