Polytechnics must redesign missions – Kufuor

President John Agyekum Kufuor has asked authorities of Polytechnics to revitalize their missions in the country's quest to attain middle-income status by 2015.

He said: "It is the Polytechnics alone who are positioned in the short-run to deliver the broad masses of employees that are most attractive to local and foreign investors who are determined to invest in Ghana."

President Kufuor made the call in a speech read on his behalf by Papa Owusu Ankomah, Member of Parliament for Sekondi and Minister of Education, Science and Sports at the sixth congregation of Takoradi Polytechnic at Takoradi.

He said for Ghana's economy to grow to the desired heights, Polytechnics had to gear themselves up to meet the challenges in attracting the appropriate investment.

President Kufuor urged authorities of Polytechnics to introduce renovations that would assist the country to achieve national renewal and transformation.

He added: “The future of Polytechnics depended on their ability to respond to these vital challenges or they run the risk of being marginalized because of local and global competition in the manpower market.”

He said authorities of Polytechnics should therefore re-design their strategic missions in such a way that it would power their revitalization for the country.

President Kufuor announced that Government allocated ¢13.8 billion for developmental projects at Takoradi Polytechnic during the 2007 financial year, and currently, Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND) was funding the construction of a hostel to accommodate 400 students on the campus of School of Business Studies at Butumagyebu and the project was expected to be completed by August.

Dr Samuel Obeng Apori, Principal of Takoradi Polytechnic said 950 students who received their Higher National Diploma completed their studies in September 2005.

He said they were made up of 209 women and 741 men out of which 10 obtained first class, 536 second class (Upper Division), 389 second class (Lower Division) and 14 passes.

Dr Apori said the polytechnic had established a Guidance and Counselling Centre because of the increasing tendency of students to indulge in deviant and anti-social behaviour that affected their academic progress and development.

He advised parents and guardians to complement efforts of the centre by monitoring and counselling their children and wards regularly.

Source: GNA