St. Francis College of Education, Hohoe, Makes History: 112 First Class Graduates After 117 Years

Story by Christian Ahodie Yaw

St. Francis College of Education in Hohoe has set a historic record, producing 112 First Class graduates in the 2020 academic year—the highest in the college’s 117-year history. The remarkable feat was announced at the institution’s 17th congregation, which also marked the graduation of the third batch of students under the Bachelor of Education degree programme.

Out of 525 graduating students, 106 from the Junior High School (JHS) Programme and six from the Primary Education Programme attained First Class Honours. Notably, the entire graduating class successfully passed, with no recorded referrals or failures.

The milestone achievement comes under the leadership of Dr. Adwoa Kwegyiriba, the first female Principal of the college since its establishment in 1908. Addressing the congregation on the theme “Architects of the Future: Positioning Teachers as Key Influencers in Shaping Society”, Dr. Kwegyiriba commended the graduates for their hard work and urged them to sow seeds of positive change in the lives of future generations. She also appealed to the government for logistical support, particularly the provision of a bus to enhance academic activities at the college.

The event was graced by several dignitaries, including Francis Yaw Agbemadi, Volta Regional Director of Education, who represented the Minister of Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu. He emphasized the pivotal role of teachers in national development and encouraged the graduates to embrace creativity in shaping society.

Guest Speaker, Professor Ben Q. Honyenuga, Vice Chancellor of Ho Technical University, challenged the new teachers to “brighten the corner wherever they find themselves” and to use their skills to inspire transformation in their communities.

Certificates were awarded to all graduates, with special recognition given to the best-performing female students. The well-attended ceremony brought together traditional leaders of Gbi, the Municipal Chief Executive of Hohoe, education officials, and representatives from other teacher training institutions.

With this historic achievement, St. Francis College of Education—popularly known as Franco—has further cemented its reputation as one of Ghana’s leading institutions for training competent and compassionate educators.END