Accra, Jan 26, GNA - Mr George Arthur, NDC-Amenfi Central, said on Thursday that the country was making slow progress in its developmental agenda because of the little recognition given to technical and vocational education.
He said institutions prefer to employ other graduates to engaging graduates of vocational and technical institutions. "Technical and vocational graduates, Mr Speaker, are mostly never considered in leadership. Parents are therefore careful not to advise their brilliant children to enter into practical oriented courses," he said in a statement in Parliament.
The member said it was worrying that after so many years the country's technological base remained a problem to the extent that cocoa and bauxite were still being exported in their raw state. He said there was a need to improve upon the technology to encourage innovative inventions and that it was worrying common toothpick was being imported.
Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, MP for Kommenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem, said while local technology was being encouraged, Ghanaians should also make the effort to patronise locally made products. Mr Lee Ocran, NDC-Jomoro, appealed to the government to make available more resources including those from Highly Indebted Poor Country Initiative to the development of science and technology. Mr Gershon Gbediame, NDC-Nkwanta South, said investing and equipping secondary school laboratories should be the basis for any meaningful technological and scientific development. Nii Amasa Namoale, NDC-La Dadekotopon, said Ghanaians should be encouraged to think scientifically and explore scientific means in solving problems.
He made reference to rumours that a person had been turned into a fowl under some spell and expressed surprise that in this 21st century people could still troop to a court premises to catch a glimpse of the alleged victim.
