Free Technical, Vocational Education: Minority demands source of funding

A former Deputy Minister of Education, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa wants government to provide details and the overhead cost of the government’s intended Free Technical and Vocational Education.

President Akufo-Addo at the maiden launch of the National Conference of Technical and Vocational Education and Training(TVET) earlier this week announced the commencement of a free Technical and Vocational Education across the country this year.

He stressed the initiative will be launched later in the year to help equip the youth with skills for the transformation of the Ghanaian economy

But the North Tongu lawmaker, Okudzeto Ablakwa in an interview with Accra-based Citi FM wondered how this move would be feasible as there was no commitment in the 2018 Budget in the funding of Free Technical and Vocational Education.

“The challenges confronting Technical and Vocational Education in our country is not an issue of affordability. It is about investing in the sector. TVET is very expensive, you need the tools,you need the equipment; that is why when we were at the Ministry of Education, we were able to raise $125 million from the African Development Bank. they have not raised additional funding for TVET and that is really where we have to pay attention. How to raise fund for Technical, Vocational Education.And then secondly how to rebrand TVET, because the challenge in our country is that the youth do not find TVET attractive. So everybody wants to obtain grammar type Education

“If we had not secured the $125 million which they are only providing counterpart funding for, less than 5 million cedis, they would have really have no funding for TVET, and that is where my concern is.”