Bolga Poly Launches New Module For Learning

THE Principal of the Bolgatanga Polytechnic, Professor Paul Tanzubil, has renewed his appeal to government to give serious attention to science and technology education as it holds the key to accelerated national development.

'Indeed, no nation can develop without science and technology, especially under the country’s determination to become a middle income nation by 2015,' he said.

Professor Tanzubil made this appeal at the launch of a new module of polytechnic education known as the 'Experimental Learning Project and funded by TALIF.'

He pointed out the PNDC Law 321 of 1992 to produce quality career, focused and hands-on graduates to contribute to economic development and national prosperity.

Unfortunately, due to various problems however, the polytechnics have not and are still not delivering this out.

He attributed this state of affair to the fact that contrary to expectation, a lot of teaching and learning of this middle-level human resource was still carried out in the classroom with little or no practical sessions.

He stressed that as technology develops and life has become more complex, there was the need to move away from this and to introduce more innovative methods that integrate contemporary teaching with student centred and problem-solving modules.

It is to achieve this paradigm shift that the 'Emperimental Learning Module' was introduced and which embodies the ideal of participatory action learning where students learn by doing and experiencing the actual work on the field.

Professor Tanzubil has therefore appealed to the youth to disabuse their minds of the notion that polytechnic education is inferior to that delivered by other tertiary institutions.

On the contrary, he said, it provides opportunities for the youth to develop themselves through private initiatives and entrepreneural development.

While assuming support for the success of the TALIF Project, he thanked the National Council for Tertiary Education and the GETFUND for providing the young Bolgatanga Polytechnic with the necessary support over the years.

Mr John Bosco Azigwe, (MSC) Marketing and Dean of the Marketing Department of the Polytechnic, regretted that the traditional pedagogy typically consisted of presenting information in a consistent and predicted manner to students 'to chew, pour, pass and forget.'

Mr Azigwe who is co-ordinator for the project, explained that under it, students will be prepared to enable them to pass-out ready to carry out their own enterprises instead of looking for government jobs.