Polytechnics Must Improve Research Work

Mr Lee Ocran - Education Minister

Education Minister, Mr Lee Ocran has urged the country’s polytechnics to improve their research work and collaborate with industry.

That, he said would enable the products of the polytechnics to make meaningful contribution to the country’s current and future challenges.

Mr Ocran made the call when he addressed the opening ceremony of the 20th annual congress of the Ghana Union of Polytechnic Students (GNUPS) at Koforidua at the weekend.

The congress held on the theme “Harnessing Skills and Competencies for National Development” which was attended by delegates from all the polytechnics in the country sought to address inherent challenges of polytechnic education.

According to the Education Minister, polytechnic graduates as development agents to move the country into the next millennium, had had their study programmes structured to provide them with the necessary skills in that respect.

He said if such skills were well tapped by industry, Ghana’s development objective would be achieved.

The government, he said would continue to attach great importance to education especially at the polytechnics by providing the needed financial, human and material resources to enable them to churn out more qualified students.

That, Mr Ocran said would make it possible for them to contribute their quota to the harnessing of the country’s resources for the benefit of all.

He added that such an initiative would improve the economy and living standard of the peoplein fulfilment of the “Better Ghana Agenda”.

Mr Ocran was hopeful that the congress would come out with useful suggestions to further improve polytechnic education.

In an address read on his behalf by the Deputy National Co-ordinator of the School Feeding Programme, Mr Charles Antwi, the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Victor Smith asked polytechnic students to appreciate the government’s efforts of bringing polytechnics to the current level.

He asked the students to be good ambassadors as Ghana went to the polls in December and preach peace to sustain the country’s fledgling democracy.

The Rector of the Koforidua Polytechnic, Professor Raynolds Okai said the students had invented a fufu pounding machine and were making research in other areas and called for more funds to support research work.

The President of GNUGS, Mr Shaban Abdul-Manaf told the gathering that land had been acquired in Accra to put up an ultra-modern secretariat for the union.

He advised polytechnic students not to be involved in activities that would lead to violence during the December polls.