Kumasi, March 25, GNA - Mr Alex Tetteh-Enyo, Minister of Education, has re-affirmed government's continued support for the Polytechnics to enable them to become the linch-pin to the nation's socio-economic and industrial development. He said that if Ghana was to make substantial headway in efforts at attaining its development agenda, priority needed to be placed on technical, polytechnic and vocational education. Mr Tetteh-Enyo said it was on account of this that as a "Government, we are committed to resourcing and providing adequate infrastructure for the development of technical and polytechnic education".

Mr Tetteh-Enyo said these in a statement read on his behalf at the 32nd Annual Students Week of the Ghana National Union of Polytechnic Students (GNUPS) in Kumasi. "Technology and Professionalism - The Role of the Polytechnics in National Development", was the theme for the celebration. Mr. Tetteh-Enyo gave the assurance that the recently passed Polytechnic Bill would be enforced to its fullest.

He commended the Polytechnics for responding to the changing labour market demand and improving its human resource base and urged the students to grab the opportunity of the introduction of the Bachelor of Technology Programmes in the polytechnic system to better their lots. Mr. Tetteh-Enyo asked GNUPS to take advantage of the Week Celebration to reflect on its challenges in order to chart a new path to facilitate the achievement of their goals. Mr Prince Prempeh Gyamfi, National President of GNUPS, attributed the giant socio-economic and technological strides made by countries like Japan and China to the attention given to polytechnic education. He said it was for this reason that the association was calling on government to focus on the promotion of science and technology. Mr Gyamfi called for improvement of the conditions of service of polytechnic lecturers to prevent the disruption of the academic calendar through labour unrest.