Government committed to providing infrastructure to Polytechnics – Mould-Iddrisu
Mrs Betty Mould-Iddrisu, Minister of Education, has said government has intensified its efforts in providing both infrastructural and human resources to ensure the success of the mandates of polytechnics.
She said government would continue to supplement the efforts of polytechnics through projects initiated under the GET Fund, Teaching and Learning Innovation Fund (TALIF) and NUFFIC.
Mrs Mould-Iddrisu was addressing the 10th congregation of the Accra Polytechnic on Saturday in Accra, where 2,467 students were awarded with Higher National Diploma (HND).
Out of the graduating students, 1.0 percent obtained first class, 35 percent with second class upper, 39 percent obtained second class lower and 5 percent with pass.
She said it was the desire and determination of government to see to it that polytechnics succeeded in their resolve to provide opportunities for skills development and applied research.
“We must all realize that the dramatic changes propelling globalization have all been achieved largely as a result of the phenomenal developments in human resources by the provision of career-focused education and professional skills training in the areas of science and technology”, she added.
Mrs Mould-Iddrisu congratulated the graduates and urged them to exhibit high moral and ethical values, with integrity, honesty, modesty, humility, patience and perseverance as their guiding principles as they play diverse roles as professionals in the world of work.
She said the place of the polytechnic graduate in the society would depend on their performance in their work places, saying, it is your performance that would determine the grade and placement of the polytechnic graduate.
“If your performance receives a high rating by employers and consumers, respect and recognition for polytechnic education would follow naturally”, she added.
Dr Festus Addo-Yobo, Rector of Accra Polytechnic, said the Polytechnic was structured in three faculties which included Applied Science and Arts, Business and Management Studies and Engineering made up fifteen departments offering wide range of courses.
Dr Addo-Yobo said the institution is putting in place systems and practices to build a learning environment which would stimulate the students to strive for excellence and prepare them use the opportunities at the market place to create wealth and prosperity.
The Rector said the Polytechnic in affiliation with Liverpool John Moores University in the United Kingdom had provided the Bachelor of Science top-up degree programmes in Construction and Management, Civil Engineering and Management to fifty students.
He stressed that he visited the University with his team to witness the graduation ceremony of the first cohort of students where six out of thirty-six of them came out with First Class degrees.
Dr Addo-Yobo said in fulfillment of the institute’s mandate, it is designing new courses tailored to the sub-regional market adding that Derby University in the UK is collaborating with Accra Polytechnic to offer courses in HND Programmes in Petroleum Engineering and Petroleum Geosciences.
He said the institute had completed a three-year pilot project in Competency Based Training at the Department of Fashion Design and Textiles financed collectively by government and the Royal Dutch Government to promote the application of oriented teaching among students.
The Rector said the school is faced with staff retention, training, support and other transformational projects and appealed to government to offer support in its quest to fulfill its mandate.
Professor Joshua Alibi, Council Chairman of Accra Polytechnic, said the dynamic changes impacting the world have made it necessary to consistently upgrade knowledge and skills to equip students translate their acquired skills into practice.
He added that these would enhance development and increase productivity and provide basis for solving the technological challenges in the country.
Prof Alabi said the institution is faced with limited space for expansion and inadequate students’ accommodation since enrolment continues to increase every year and added that the Development Committee of Council is making efforts to acquire parcels of land for the Polytechnic.
He appealed to government, traditional leaders and other stakeholders to come their aid in securing plots of land for expansion.
Source: GNA