Pay attention Polytechnics - Government urged

Accra, Jan. 8, GNA - Mr. Richard Nkrumah, National President of the Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana (POTAG) on Tuesday said the government had invested hugely in the Polytechnics and could not afford to continue to allow avoidable strikes to disrupt the implementation of its academic programmes to the detriment of the teeming youth of the country. "In 2004 alone Polytechnics lost an aggregate of twenty seven out of the thirty-two weeks in the academic year through strikes as follows: GNUPS 16 weeks, TEWU 6 Weeks and POTAG 5 weeks," he said Mr Nkrumah said the government had refused to recognize and implement the Reports of two Committees that it set up, to find a lasting solution to the perennial disturbances in the polytechnics. Those Reports are the Professor Kwami Committee Report of June 2001 and The Professor Alemna Report of June 2003.

Speaking at the 59th New Year School on the "Challenges Associated with the Implementation of Academic Programmes in the Polytechnics in Ghana," he said the government had breached more that six MOU's signed with POTAG with the last one signed on 14 November, 2007 also breached.

He said government had resorted to only adhoc solutions anytime there was a strike or a threat of a strike and that the work on the roadmap for POTAG initiated in 2006 had still not been completed due to non-commitment on the part of government. Mr. Nkrumah expressed the hope that the numerous interventions that were continuously being put in place would make things better for the polytechnics, especially with President Kufuor's assent to the Polytechnic Law to come into being in September 2007.

"It is our prayer that while waiting for the completion of the Fair Wages Commission and the implementation of its report, the roadmap for POTAG will be pursued in a committed manner through dialogue to enable stability on our campuses so that academic work can go on smoothly."

Dr. Samuel Obeng Apori, Rectors of the Takoradi Polytechnic on his part said the Polytechnics in Ghana have now been empowered to produce practical oriented graduates with specific competencies to strengthen the skilled manpower base, alleviate poverty and ultimately propel the country into a middle income one by 2015.

He said in-spite of this arguable position, the polytechnics fair share of challenges were surmountable with the necessary support from government and all the other stakeholders. He said inadequate funding, government policy on admissions, the negative perceptions of polytechnics, conditions of service of lecturers and other staff as well as legislative matters, among others, were the major challenges that the polytechnics faced. Dr. Apori, also the Chairman of the Conference of Polytechnic Rectors, said currently, the government as a policy was encouraging higher intakes into the science and technology based programmes but the challenge was that fewer applicants apply for such programmes as opposed to the others.

He said there was the need to strengthen the teaching of science and technology at the pre-tertiary levels so that more students would be attracted to these areas of study with the products to feed the science and technology programmes in the polytechnics. In Ghana, polytechnic education started in the 1950's focusing mainly on technician and craft courses but with the passage of PNDC Law 321 in 1993, the Polytechnics were elevated to tertiary status to train middle level manpower for industry and commerce.

The new Polytechnic Act 742 of 2006, accorded the polytechnics full autonomy as tertiary institution removing whatever restrictions imposed on them by the PNDC Law 321. The National Board for Technician and Professional Examinations (NABPTEX) was established to supervise curriculum development, implementation and monitoring.