POTAG strike stalled Polytechnics conversion - Minister

Polytechnic teachers strike has hindered government’s plans to convert the institutions to technical universities by 2016 as it put-off development partners, Ministry of Education has said.

Government’s plans to convert polytechnics into technical universities were to help reposition them as strategic institutions for the training of highly skilled human resource to drive the nation’s socioeconomic development.

“The process has been hampered by the recent strike action that did not favour the arrival of our external partners,” Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang, Minister of Education, said at the graduation ceremony of Accra Polytechnic on Friday.

She justified government’s decision to upgrade the polytechnics into technical universities saying; “I wish to state that when polytechnics are converted, they are not to become traditional universities with similar mandates or duplicate the courses and programmes that the universities are offering”.

The rationale for the conversion was to achieve parity of esteem with the universities without departing from the practical-oriented philosophy of polytechnic education and training, she said.

She said: “It is expected that the upgraded polytechnics would be required to remain focused on their core function of training technicians and technologists at a higher level to meet the exigencies of the rapidly changing technology-driven work environment.”

Prof. Agyemang revealed that the committee tasked to develop a roadmap for the conversion of polytechnics to technical universities had recommended a gradual upgrading based on criteria such as qualification levels, practical industrial experience of lecturers and the quality of collaboration for the polytechnic with industry and businesses.

Facilities such as infrastructure, equipment and training resources at the polytechnics are also to be considered.

Prof. Sylvester Achio, Rector of Accra Polytechnic, expressed worry that experienced senior lecturers were heading for retirement at the time the Bachelor of Technology portfolio was growing.

He appealed to the Ministries of Education, Finance as well as Employment and Labour Relations to grant polytechnics the approval to retain some academic staff on at least two-year contract appointments for the initial running of degree programmes and in preparation towards the technical universities concept.

He urged the Ministry of Finance to speed up the clearance process for the staff replacement request so as to facilitate work in the polytechnics.

“We foresee brain drain from the polytechnics to the universities where contract appointments are done to retain needy academic staff,” he said.

One hundred and one students graduated with Bachelor of Technology degrees from the School of Applied Sciences and Arts.