Conversion of polytechnics to universities laudable; Says POTAG
The Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana (POTAG) has lauded the government’s decision to convert polytechnics to technical universities, saying that initiative will raise the image of technical education in the country.
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At a press conference in Accra last Tuesday, the Chairman of the Accra branch of Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana (POTAG), Mr Jones Adjei Ntiamoah, said polytechnics were more than ready to be converted to universities.
Equal attention
He, however, stressed the need for all polytechnics to be given equal attention following the conversion of polytechnics into technical universities in September next year.
The government’s policy of converting polytechnics into technical universities will take off in September 2016 to help reposition them as strategic institutions for the training of highly skilled human resource to drive the nation’s socio-economic development.
The purpose of the transformation of all polytechnics into technical universities is to bridge the gap between academia and industry, according to the progenitors.
Readiness of institutions
At the press conference, Mr Ntiamoah indicated that POTAG had set up a committee in Sunyani to deliberate on the issue regarding the draft bill on the conversion and provided views for the implementation process.
He said the committee provided 10 key recommendations, among which they proposed that the entire polytechnic institutions be converted and that gradual process based on identified criteria should not be engaged.
Mr Ntiamoah said with the conversion to technical universities, polytechnics would have enough autonomy and be empowered to run the much-needed technical programmes.
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He said in terms of human resource and infrastructure, the polytechnics were ready for the conversion.