Five Polytechnics failed Technical University assessment

Five Polytechnics in Ghana cannot be converted into technical universities for now as envisaged by the government. The institutions failed to meet the criteria required for the transformation.

The Desk Officer for Universities and Polytechnics at the National Counsel for Tertiary Education of Ghana, Mr. Evan Kwabena Takyi disclosed this when a delegation from the German Academic Exchange Service visited  Koforidua Polytechnic. The visit was to access the school’s preparedness level to be transformed into a Technical University.

Even though Mr. Takyi would not name these Polytechnics, he hinted that Koforidua Poly cannot be one. The institution did extremely well in the assessment, he noted.

He said, government intend to remodel them after the German structures of Technical Universities and School of Applied Science to churn out graduates with employable and entrepreneurial skills.

He added that, the visit by the German delegation is the first phase in the conversion process. 

Rector of the Koforidua Polytechnic Professor (Mrs.) Smile Gavua Dzisi said they have certified all the government criteria set for the conversion. The school will call for a reassessment if Koforidua Poly is not included in the qualified schools.

The Koforidua Polytechnic has six full-fledged B. Tech programmes in Science and Technology as against government requirement of four, she said.

“We also have five Science and Technology based Faculties in good standing as against the minimum of two, we can boast of having senior lecturers with requisite professional / industrial experience heading all the academic departments. We have fairly equipped laboratory and workshop to begin with.

“We have collaborationsc with quite a number of industries and academic institutions in and outside Ghana while plans are in place for every teaching staff to undertake industrial attachment during vacations to strengthen our capacity,” Professor Dzisi Stressed.

She said, the School of Graduate Studies established in August 2014 to provide clear path of academic progression for students is currently Coordinating the development of curricular for Masters of Technology programmes.

Leader of the German delegation who is a Senior Desk Officer at the German Partnership Programs and Higher Education Management, Mrs. Gudrun Chazotte said Germany will not impose their structure entirely on Ghana but will help build a structure that will fit the African contest.