The Bolgatanga Polytechnic branch of the Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana, POTAG, says the phased conversion of Polytechnics into Technical Universities would negatively affect Polytechnics that have not been included in the conversion of which the Bolgatanga Polytechnic is one.
According to them, the move will adversely affect the other Polytechnics that will not be converted in terms of admissions, staff turnover and recognition.
They argued that currently when no Polytechnic has been fully converted into a Technical University, there exists huge dichotomy between the different Polytechnics in terms of enrollment, adding that the phased conversion will worsen the situation.
Addressing a press conference, Thursday, the association said “The piecemeal conversion will bring untold hardships to the remaining Polytechnics in terms of admissions, staff turnovers and recognition. There are already difficulties in terms of enrolment in some of the Polytechnics that are being left out and we believe that if the Government goes ahead with its intended phased conversion, the situation could worsen.”
They are of the view that the conversion should be done en bloc in order to avert challenges like lack of recognition, enrolment challenges that will bedevil those that are not part of the ones to be converted in September.
They recalled that the University for Development Studies for example had infrastructural deficiencies but the then government decided to go ahead with the establishment of the University which is now one of the best Universities in the country; therefore, the government can convert the Polytechnics en bloc whiles it takes steps to address the deficiencies that the Technical Committee identified.
POTAG however, raised concerns with regards to the exclusion of the Bolgatanga Polytechnic from the Polytechnics to be converted into Technical Universities in September because according to them the evaluation report submitted by the Technical Committee reveals that the Polytechnic did far better than some other Polytechnics that are going to be converted in September.
“A major deficiency according to the Evaluation Report is that the polytechnic did not have any affiliation with industry and other institutions but as a matter of fact the Bolgatanga Polytechnic has affiliations with some industries and other tertiary institutions; it was unfortunate that the Technical Committee did not notice this during their visit” the statement said.
On his part, President for the Student Representative Council, Asabea Abdul-Rahman, expressed his disappointment about the exclusion of their school, considering the human resource and infrastructure the Bolgatanga Polytechnic has.
He opined that since Ho Polytechnic was not part of the First five Polytechnics to be converted but was added later, the Bolgatanaga Polytechnic should be added to the schools to be converted in September.
By: Offei-Akoto Ayeh | A1RADIOONLINE.com | GHANA
