Members of the Bogatanga Polytechnic branch of the Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana TUTAG have expressed their dissatisfaction over the delay by the Minister of Education, Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh and the Government in converting the Polytechnic to a Technical University.
In a press released signed by the Bolgatanga Polytechnic Branch B’poly of TUTAG Chairmen Emmanuel Akampaadgi stated that, after working hard to meet the requirement set by the Technical Committee that came for the re-assessment and the passing of the Technical University Amendment Act, Act 922 members taught that the Bolgatanga Polytechnic would have became a Technical University by now. This however, appears a mirage and no reason has been assigned for that.
The statement indicated that, the delay in the conversion is causing a lot of anxiety among the staff of the Polytechnic and its attendant effects of low enrollment, staff attritions and lowering of status.
The statement disclosed that enrollment of the Polytechnic in the 2018, 2019 academic year has been worse ever, since the inception of the institution, and many potential applicants are opting for Technical Universities the reason being that eight 8 out of the 10 Polytechnics in the country are elevated, making it difficult for Bolgatanga Polytechnic for students to enroll.
Speaking to Radio Ghana the Chairman of the Bolgatanga Polytechnic branch of TUTAG explained that, the delay, is undermining the Polytechnic as a tertiary institution and if the conversion is not done within a shortest time, the situation will exacerbate.
The statement further added that, the caliber of lecturers migrating are the core staff the institution need and if such caliber of staff drifts away, the Polytechnic will suffer to recruit and train new staff to aid in the mounting of new progammes in the institution.
According to the chairman, in an earlier press statement, the Minister of Education’s claim that, there were certain things yet to be put in place before the conversion were untenable because none of the Polytechnics converted so far, scored hundred per cent in the assessment. Aside that, provision of additional facilities in the Polytechnic and the conversion is mutually exclusive.
Story by: GBC’s Emmanuel Akayeti
