Polytechnic students call for implementation of committee's report

The Ghana National Union of Polytechnics Students (GNUPS) on Monday called for the implementation of the recommendations of the committee set up to investigate the grading system of the country's polytechnics, to avert tension on various campuses.

It said the committee that was charged with the issue of new performance grading system submitted its report to the Ministry of Education (MOE) in June this year, "but nothing has been heard from the ministry."

Speaking at a press conference in Accra, Mr Issah Mohammed Ikilil President of GNUPS said they have accepted the first committee's report but they cannot continue to be kept in suspense for the documents to gather dust saying, "in the era of positive change such practices cannot be tolerated."

The GNUPS in its bid to call off its strike action earlier this year signed a memorandum of understanding with MOE and the three committees charged with looking at new performance grading system, job placement and academic progression and staff and infrastructure and development.

Mr Ikili noted that, "though the various committees were given one month in March this year, to submit their report, GNUPS has been left in silence but we want the MOE to break that silence"

"We wish to reiterate that we are not interested in strike action but dialogue. However if all fails and the usual foot dragging continues we may be compelled, to adhere to the dictates on the ground," he said.

He reminded stakeholders and partners who helped them during their struggle that they owe it a duty to implement the report adding the longer they delay, the more they give room for tension to rise t our various campuses.

He also called for a second look at the interim report of the job replacement grading system, which still places polytechnic students below degree holding students on the job market adding that the report would only compound the problems of students.

Mr Ikilil appealed to MOE to intervene with the implementation of what they described as "another examination fee" charged by National Board for Professional Technical Examination.

He noted that students are charged with examination fees by the various institutions "but this time we seem to pay for another fee adding polytechnic students see this act as a duplication of our examination fee and reject it in no uncertain terms." He commended the government for increasing the students' loan from 1.5 million cedis to two million cedis but called for further increment.