Sunyani, (B/A), Oct. 26, GNA - Professor Kwasi Nsiah-Gyabaah, Rector of Sunyani Polytechnic has warned polytechnic students against "ponding" of fresh students to welcome them on to the campus. He said "ponding" was a major offence and that students who engaged in the act would be dismissed.

Prof. Nsiah-Gyabaah gave the warning at the 14th matriculation ceremony of the polytechnic in Sunyani at the weekend. A total of 4,536 new students took the matriculation oath. He said the Polytechnic would continue to protect and support students "who are humane, respectful, law abiding and disciplined". Prof. Nsiah-Gyabaah urged the students to be disciplined and time-conscious, stressing; "Your success depends on your responsiveness to duty and service".

Giving a brief history of the Polytechnic, the Rector said it was established in 1997 and currently had 9,000 students, adding, it has Applied Sciences, Business and Management Studies as well as Engineering schools. "It runs seven Higher National Diploma programmes and a bachelor of Building Technology Degree Programme," Prof. Nsiah-Gyabaah said. In addition the Polytechnic admits students into eight professional programmes, technician and craft courses and Bachelor and Masters Degrees for its overseas academic collaborators.

Prof. Nsiah-Gyabaah said the Polytechnic was planning for an expansion in the degree programmes to areas such as hospitality and tourism management and electrical/electronic engineering, ceramics, brick and tile technology that would help accelerate the industrial transformation of the country. "Remember that the cost of education is increasing and your parents are making big sacrifices to educate you," Prof. Nsiah-Gyabaah said, and urged them to comport themselves and concentrate on their books. While calling on the government and other stakeholders to increase funding to education, the Rector advised parents to adopt family planning as a means of reducing the number of children so they could provide better education for them.

Prof. Nsiah-Gyabaah said it was the expectation that the new students would "graduate as skillful, knowledgeable, resourceful practitioners in their fields of endeavour and be imbued with etiquette, patriotism and having empathy for fellow human beings. He said they should be ready to assist in the management of a dynamic society. 26 Oct. 09