Gov’t keen on upgrading two remaining polytechnics to universities – Prof. Kwesi Yankah

The Minister of State in Charge of Tertiary Education, Professor Kwesi Yankah, says the government is keen on upgrading the two remaining polytechnics to technical universities.

The upgrading of the Bolgatanga and Wa polytechnics to technical universities will enable the two to derive full and maximum benefit from technical tertiary education.

Speaking at the 6th Congregation of the Bolgatanga Polytechnic, Professor Yankah said the government is determined to make sure the upgrading will not only expand access to technical and vocational tertiary education but also provide a career path for all who choose technical education.

Here is a report from GBC’s Correspondent Dangmaa Felix Lambert.

The Bolgatanga Polytechnic graduated a total of 927 graduands from the 2016 and 2017 cohorts, with 869 graduating with HNDs and 58 with Bachelors of Technology.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony, the Acting Rector of the Polytechnic, Professor Samuel Alnaa, said the Polytechnic devoted about 4 million Ghana cedis of its GETFund allocation to the acquisition of laboratory equipment which has been installed and is functioning.

He also announced that a 3 storey hostel facility, started in 2011, is almost complete and will accommodate 212 students. Adding that a one storey staff bungalow is about 70 percent complete.

The polytechnic is also planning to introduce 15 new programs in the 2018/19 academic year and these include Bachelor of Technology in Ecological Agriculture and Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engineering.

Professor Samuel Alnaa said the measures put in place by the university to ensure effective teaching and learning are also an indication that the Bolgatanga Polytechnic is ready for conversion into a technical university.

He maintains that the Polytechnic has addressed all the deficiencies that made it miss out on the first assessment in 2015.

He expressed the desire for the Minister in charge of tertiary education to make a pronouncement about the conversion of the polytechnic into a technical university because it is lagging behind.

Prof. Yankah, said he was happy about concerted and selfless efforts that both staff and students are putting in place to improve the situation on campus.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Governing Council, Professor Francis Atindaana Abantanga, also made a passionate appeal to government and relevant stakeholders to take a second look at the conversion of the polytechnic into technical university.

He also advised the graduates to be job creators and not job seekers.

He explained that government alone cannot employ all the graduates from all tertiary educational institutions, hence the need for them to be entrepreneurs.