Dambai College of Education (DACE) formerly Dambai Training College (DATCO), started as a 4-year Teacher Training College on 18th October, 1974. The need to establish a Teacher Training College in the Northern Sector of the then Volta Region was mooted by Colonel E.O Nyanteh who was appointed Volta Regional Minister and later the Commissioner of Education in Ghana in Colonel I.K. Acheampong’s Government of 1972-1975. His Frequent visit to the then Krachi District revealed to him the educational disparity between the Northern Sector and the Southern Sector of the Region. He therefore saw the urgent need to open a Teacher Training College to train teachers for the Northern sector of the Region. This was at the time Government was phasing out 4-year Teacher Training College. In November 1973, at a Durbar of Nchumuru Chiefs at Chinderi, Col. E. O. Nyanteh announced his intention to establish Teacher Training College in the Northern Sector of the Region. Consequently, Nana Obrimpong Kanya II, Bejamesehene and Nana Kokoroko II of Chonke Traditional Area collaborated to site the College at Dambai because of its central position at the Northen part of the Region. The siting of the Training College coincided with the litigation over the Odikroship of the town between Nana Kwame Abunya and Nana Kofi Chikpa, all of Wankanyaw clan. Amidst the chieftaincy disputes that bedevilled Dambai, the late Nana Okunte proposed that the College be located at Dormabin, his hometown. Also, at one of their meetings, the Odikro of Banka proposed that the College be located at Banka and named as Banka Teacher Training College. These suggestions were vehemently opposed by Opanyin Kwame Awuranyi, Mr Godfred Ayesu, Nana Nyambre Anane and Nana Chikpa of Wankanyaw.
The late Nana Kokoroko II of Chonke Traditional Area then gave directives to Opanyin Awuranyi, Nana Chikpa and Nana Nyambre Anane to look for a suitable site or land on which the College could be located at Dambai. The late Opanyin Kwame Awuranyi and Godfred Ayesu (Vice Chairman of Dambai Town Development Committee) took up the challenge. Finally, collaborative effort by Opanyi Kwame Awuranyi, Mr Godfred Ayesu, Odikro of Banka and Mr. J.P. Essel led to the acquisition of the land that made the establishment of the Training College at its current location in Dambai. In September 1974, Colonel E.O. Nyanteh and his entourage from the Ministry of Education came to Dambai in a helicopter to inspect the land acquired in order to commission the College. The Elders and the Town Development Committee had mobilized the community for a massive welcome of the Minister of Education to commission the College. He was surprised at the large crowd gathered to welcome him and his entourage. A week after Colonel Nyanteh’s departure, Mr Narh George Bosumpra was appointed the first Principal of the newly established Dambai Teacher Training College (DATCO). He was assisted by Mr E. K. Dogbey, the Senior Housemaster. Thus, the College was officially opened on 18th October, 1974. Mr Ochere Heneku (the then District Director of Education, Kete-Krachi) and members of his staff supervised the official opening on that day. Although Nana Kokoroko II played a crucial role in supporting the Government to establish the College in the area of his jurisdiction, he did not live to see the opening day of the College because he was called home by his ancestors. The College started by admitting thirty-five (35) male students.
The initial Staff of the College included:
The major challenge of the College at the time was where to accommodate the first batch of students and tutors. Mr J.P. Essel provided a 6-room house to accommodate Mr Bosumpra (Principal) free of charge for four years. Mr F. K. Dogbey, the Senior Housemaster was accommodated at Banka in Mr. Sackey’s father’s house. Nana Kanya II was accommodated at the PWD Guest House. Besides, Mr Azamela and Mr Agbo were accommodated at Banka. Before the arrival of the 35 pioneer students, the Principal went to the Regional Office to seek funding to feed the students. Prior to his departure to the Regional Education Ofiice in Ho, the Principal he had borrowed forty-five thousand cedis (¢45,000.00) from Mr Ayesu to feed the students. On his return from Ho, the Principal went to Mr. Ayesu to pay back the money he borrowed but Mr Ayesu said the money was given for charity. Mr Ayesu further gave his house out (now the Old Police Station) to be used as classrooms. The veranda of the house also served as the dining hall. Mr. Ayesu’s gas-light was used by the students to learn at night. Due to the philanthropic gesture exhibited by Mr Ayesu, the Principal bestowed on him the title “FATHER OF THE COLLEGE”. Mr Ayesu advised that the College should be changed from single sex (male) institution to coeducational institution. Hence, the first batch of 25 female students were admitted in 1975. Accommodation became a challenge for getting these female students comfortably settled. However, the challenge was temporarily solved by College Management quickly fencing the house of the then Chief Imam of Dambai, which was being used as an Administration Block, to accommodate the female students. When students’ enrolment rose to 70, some few classrooms served as both classrooms and dormitories.
To avoid the drudgery of arranging the wooden classrooms each night for sleeping place, the students constructed thatch roofed structures to serve as classrooms. Later, Blaise Construction Company Limited won government contract to construct temporary wooden structures to serve as Dining Hall, Administration Block, Library and the Principal’s Residence. Students accepted the challenges at the time and cooperated with the situation. Water was also a serious challenge but Blaise Company drilled a borehole behind the lady’s dormitory for the students to get water.
The academic / professional programmes in the College had gone through upgrading from a 4-Year Certificate ‘A’, 3-Year Post-Secondary Certificate ‘A’, 3-Year Diploma in Basic Education (DBE) and now to a 4-Year Bachelor of Education in Basic Education (with specialisms in Early Grade, Upper Primary and Junior High School).
Dambai College of Education (DACE) which under the former name Dambai Training College (DATCO) was a Post-Secondary Non Tertiary Institution, has been elevated to tertiary status in 2012 by the passage of Colleges of Education Act 2012, Act 847. The College was mentored by the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Cape Coast, from its inception till 2019 when University for Development Studies (UDS), Tamale, became the new mentoring university as a result of new mentorship arrangement put in place by Government to enable the five public education oriented universities (UCC, UDS, UEW, UG & KNUST) to play mentorship role to Colleges affiliated to each. The current Principal, Dr. (Mrs.) Benedicta Awusi Atiku is the twelve Principal of the College.
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