Takoradi June, 27, GNA - President John Evans Atta Mills, has tasked the polytechnics to facilitate national efforts to recover the economy and expand the private sector. He said the private sector is inherently geared towards production, high income and employment generation. President Mills was speaking in a speech read on his behalf at the 9th Congregation of Takoradi Polytechnic.

Two thousand, two hundred and seventy four (2,274) students including 783 females, received Higher National Diplomas at the ceremony. President Mills asked the polytechnics to help promote research and private- sector linkages, which he said is almost non-existent to establish and strengthen positive output and growth.

He said this year, government through the Ghana Education Trust Fund, has released 1,566,000 Ghana Cedis for the completion and furnishing of the four-storey complex building of the School of Applied Arts Department of the polytechnic and rehabilitation of roads on campus.

President Mills said government is not under any illusion about the enormity of the problems faced by the polytechnics and is determined to keep on the path of restructuring all public institutions to assume their proper status and infuse in them renewed hope and confidence. He said government would also commit resources to develop the faculties of the polytechnics, adding: "The heart and soul of a polytechnic are its faculty, research and graduate outputs."

President Mills said government would improve the lot of the academic staff in order to attract and retain bright young lecturers for the development of the polytechnics.

He said the Single Spine Salary Structure and the on-going negotiations between Polytechnics Teachers Association of Ghana and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, should be seen as demonstration of government's commitment to improve the working conditions of lecturers.

President Mills commended the Polytechnic Council for its foresight in introducing programmes that would equip the youth with the needed skills to secure jobs in the oil industry. He appealed to the youth especially those in and around the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis to take advantage of the opportunity to add value to themselves to take advantage of the oil and gas industry. He appealed to people who are involved in the debate on the use of mobile phones in senior high schools to approach the matter dispassionately. President Mills asked students and parents to allow school authorities to operate in the manner that would bring higher dividends academic dividends.

He said society expects beneficiaries of educational institutions to be disciplined and discerning individuals and capable of engaging in objective rather than emotional analysis of issues.

The President said students should respect and promote the norms of society and change the status quo through legitimate means. He observed that every act of indiscipline whether it is cheating at examinations or inappropriate behaviour towards school authorities, vandalism is a betrayal of the society which is investing so much in their education.

He said although government would always encourage school authorities to be accommodating and humane in their relationship with the "Sometime difficult" adolescent youth on campuses, it would neither tolerate acts of indiscipline by students nor would it intercede in the legitimate disciplinary procedures of the institutions when invoked.

"At this level, every student must realise that he or she is accountable for his or her actions. You are adult citizens and must be socially responsible," President Mills said.

Dr George Oduro, Chairman of the Polytechnic Council said members are resolved to promote an enabling environment for teaching and learning that is characterized by mutual respect and co-existence among members of the polytechnic community and an environment that is devoid of discrimination on the grounds of culture, religion, gender, ethnicity and politics.

He said the council is of the view that it is only through non-partisanship and non-discriminatory approach to decision making in the polytechnic that the requisite tranquillity for promoting quality teaching and learning could be achieved.

Reverend Professor Daniel Nyarko, Rector, said the Polytechnic would soon sign a memorandum of understanding with City and Guilds and the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport of the United Kingdom to offer specialised training in the fields of welding, fabrication, logistics, transport, freight forwarding and clearing and warehousing, among other programmes.

He said this year, the polytechnic hopes to receive accreditation from the National Accreditation Board to run a Bachelor of Technology Programme, which would lead to the award of B-tech degrees in Procurement and Civil Engineering.

Rev Prof Nyarko said the B-Tech Procurement Programme is to be run in collaboration with the Millennium Development Authority and the Public Procurement Authority.

He said the academic facility had secured accreditation to run a B-tech Printing Programme.

Rev. Prof. Nyarko He said plans are well advanced to introduce oil related courses aimed at training technicians for the emerging oil industry. Other courses to be run by the polytechnic include aircraft maintenance techniques in collaboration with the Aircraft Maintenance Training Institute and Afrimeric Engineering International at Cincinnati in the United States.