Indiscipline undermining quality polytechnic education

Sunyani, May 5, GNA - Dr Kwasi Nsiah-Gyabaah, Principal of the Sunyani Polytechnic (S-Poly) on Wednesday expressed concern about the high level of undisciplined acts among students in Polytechnics in the country.

He noted that indiscipline on the various campuses was on the ascendancy and this was undermining the level and quality of polytechnic education.

Dr Nsiah-Gyabaah was addressing students of the S-Poly at the launch of this year's Ghana National Union of Polytechnic Students (GNUPS) Week in Sunyani.

He noted with regret that some polytechnic students had given in to the practice of occultism, use of indecent language, excessive use of drugs and disrespect for authority. "The society is expecting you to come out as useful citizens to play your roles effectively to help develop the nation. "If the level of indiscipline continues like this, then polytechnic education has failed to produce the kind of personnel that society will need to advance", he said.

Dr Nsiah-Gyabaah advised the students to lead decent lives worthy of emulation so that pupils and students at basic and second cycle institutions would be encourage to further their education at the polytechnics.

Mr. Kwame Ampofo-Twumasi, Deputy Minister of Education, called on the students to strive to achieve success since their progress depended on the lives they led.

"The purpose of polytechnic education is to encourage the study of technical subjects at the tertiary level and to provide middle level manpower to feed the growing industries in the country", he said. The Deputy Minister added that the upgrading was also aimed at providing for development, research and publication of research findings.

He gave the assurance that the government was making efforts to equip and fund polytechnic education in order to achieve the desired objectives.

Mr. Ampofo-Twumasi appealed to private institutions to accept polytechnic graduates on attachment to expose them to the realities of practical life.

Mr. Ignatius Baffuor-Awuah, Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, advised the students to make good use of the opportunity they had and to attach more seriousness to their studies.

He noted, "Your parents and the government are spending a lot of their resources to enable you to go through better education and you need to work hard not to allow this to go to waste". Mr. Gerald Boakye Prempeh, local GNUPS President, said the Union was established 10 years ago to address common problems affecting polytechnic education.