Cape Coast, Tamale Polytechnics upgrade not political – Ablakwa

The Deputy Minister of Education in charge of Tertiary, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has explained that government’s decision to add both Tamale and Cape Coast Polytechnics to list of Polytechnics to be converted into technical universities is not for political gains.

According to the Deputy Minister, every Polytechnic was assessed based on certain criteria but both Tamale and Cape Coast Polytechnics did not meet the standards at the time the technical committee compiled its report.

“It is not as if we met and decided to convert those schools to suit our interest. The decision to convert those schools did not come from us. There was a committee constituted to work on that and they have recommended the first six.

If it was political why a team should be put in place to go all the way to Germany to study their system, it is the vision of the President to have all the Polytechnics converted,” Mr. Ablakwa told Bright Kwesi Asempa host of Onua FM morning show ‘Yen Sempa’ that the other six Polytechnics to be converted into technical universities by close of September this year include: Accra Polytechnic, Kumasi Polytechnic, Sunyani Polytechnic and Takoradi Polytechnic. The rest are Ho Polytechnic and Koforidua Polytechnic.

The announcement of the first phase of the conversion process was met with some agitations from polytechnics that were excluded. Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister of Education in charge of Tertiary said after a re-assessment, all is set for Tamale and Cape Coast Polytechnics to be added to the initial six that was earlier announced.

He stated that there were some issues that disqualified four polytechnics but a re-assessment by the technical committee on Tamale and Cape Coast Polytechnics have found that, the two schools have been able to address those issues.

“For instance, the Tamale Polytechnic now has a brand new engineering Laboratory and other facilities that they were not having, and in case of Cape Coast, they have governing issues and that also has been addressed hence the executive approval,” he explained.

He maintained that the technical universities will offer cutting edge education using modern methodologies which will not only prepare the students for the ready job market but also make them entrepreneurs.

Touching on the remaining two schools – Bolgatanga and WA Polytechnics – Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said government intends to invest in them in order to bring them to the acceptable standards.