The Vice President Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur has urged polytechnics to
be more proactive, businesslike and aggressive in marketing their
capabilities to internally generate income to supplement Government’s
efforts.
He said even though the Government had pledged to provide adequate
support to enable all polytechnics to be converted into technical
universities, fund raising agencies set up by the government should not
be seen as the panacea to all financial challenges of the polytechnics.
The Vice President was addressing the 11th Congregation of the Cape
Coast Polytechnic on Saturday during which a total of 1,019 Higher
National Diplomas and 10 Bachelor of Technology Degree students
graduated.
Out of the number, 47 had first Class, 464 second class upper division, 491 second class lower division and 15 received passes.
“This is the time to form closer links with the private sector and engage in serious fund raising activities,” he said.
Mr. Amissah-Arthur in a speech read on his behalf said the Government
believed stakeholders such as private individuals, organizations and
alumni associations played major roles as development partners by
providing equipment and the infrastructural needs of the polytechnics in
support of government’s efforts.
He urged all stakeholders to contribute their quota to develop
polytechnics, as places of learning, and called on alumni associations
to expand their membership base to cover more members, as well as
financing developmental projects on their various campuses.
The Vice President assured that Government would continue to distribute
limited funds judiciously and appealed to the authorities to use the
funds appropriately, and that, students should take good care of the
infrastructure provided them, to facilitate teaching and learning.
Mr. Amissah-Arthur said the Government was convinced that, to achieve
the “Better Ghana Agenda," there was the need to continue recognizing
the important role polytechnic education played in skilled manpower
development for rapid economic and social growth.
“That is why the government has not relented in its efforts to provide
the needed support to boost polytechnic education.” He said
The Vice President pointed out that government’s awareness of the
significance of polytechnic education, coupled with the many challenges
it faced, constituted part of the underlying reasons for the policy to
convert polytechnic institutions into technical universities.
Mr. Amissah-Arthur said in showing Government’s true commitment to the
conversion, an eight member technical committee was commissioned last
year to work out modalities and plans, and that, the committee’s report
was being studied by Government.
He said the experiences of other countries that had undertaken the same
conversion were being reviewed in order to avoid the mistakes they may
have made during the conversion.
The Vice President commended the council and management of the Cape
Coast Polytechnic for their efficient management of scarce government
resources, especially where the provision of adequate funding was a
serious challenge for government.
He advised them to work conscientiously at whatever job they get, since
their true worth would be measured by their ability to impart
positively, and reminded the graduating students, who had accessed the
Students’ Loan Trust Fund to repay as soon as they start working to
enable other students to access the revolving fund.
The Rector of Cape Coast Polytechnic, Professor Lawrence Atepor, lauded
the decision to convert polytechnics in technical universities, saying,
it would make university education accessible to more people, as well
as solve the age old problem of academic progression for higher national
diploma graduates.
He said the polytechnic was getting ready for the conversion by
entering into affiliations with organizations within and outside Ghana,
which includes the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University,
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and Kumasi
Polytechnic.
Prof. Atepor, who was made an associate professor of the institution at
the council meeting that preceded the congregation, said the human
resource development agenda was on course, as teaching staffs were
upgrading themselves.
He said currently, the institution had more Ph.D. holders and senior
lecturers and that, very soon, there would be professors in every
department.
Prof Atepor said the institute was reviewing its strategic plan to
guide and prepare them for the conversion and also deal with the
challenges that may occur.
He appealed for support to construct a modern auditorium facility for
large gatherings, especially during the rainy season, hostel facilities
to accommodate the about 90 per of students, who are at the mercy of
landlords in the community, a bus for industrial trips, a sports stadium
and modern equipment for the laboratories.
The Rector expressed gratitude to the Government for its support and
advised the graduating students to take their work seriously.
GNA
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