Vocational and technical training, not for school dropouts -Educationist

Tema, July 26, GNA - Mr. Asamoah Duodu, Director of Technical and Vocational Education on Saturday underscored the need for Vocational and Technical Training Institutions to be given equal attention to boost the interest of students.

He noted that more emphasis had been placed on university education in that, "our system basically aimed at seeing only those who end at the universities as worthy of being adequately rewarded". To reverse this trend, Mr. Duodu called for attention to be given to vocational and technical training institutions to enable the sector to contribute meaningfully towards national human resource development. Mr. Duodu made the call in a speech read on his behalf at the 20th anniversary and 15th graduation of the SOS Hermann Gmeiner Vocational Training Cewntre (SOS-HGVTC) in Tema.

The Director regretted that, this perception about vocational and technical institution has led to more people entering the polytechnics, nursing training colleges, teacher training colleges and the universities with fake documents in an attempt to get the respect and admiration of their peers and society.

He pointed out that, this mindset and stigma on TVET is experienced in the Secondary and Secondary Technical schools "observing that science students are considered clever and those doing vocational subjects also considered not clever enough".

Mr Duodu therefore urged the public to discard the notion that only school drop-outs acquire vocational and technical training. To encourage the youth to be comfortable acquiring other working skills, he called for a change in the salary structure to bridge the gap between university graduates and non university skilled workers. Mr. Kojo Mintah, National Director of SOS Children's Villages in Ghana said, in spite of the numerous benefits that vocational training brings to the nation, Ghana had not taken this area of education very serious accounting for most Ghanaians considering it as a preserve for the unintelligent.

Speaking on the theme; 'The role of vocational and technical education in Ghana's new reform', he said the subject for the celebration recognizes the necessity for a reform in vocational training in the country to make it more relevant in the present socio economic circumstances.

The SOS Director expressed optimism that the new educational reform would change the negative perception of vocational and technical training as well as position centres as the human resources development institutions needed for the survival of the country.

Mr. Mintah also called on parents to create the enabling environment for their children to learn and develop through the provision of basic materials needed for practical training.

Mr. Eric Osa Laate, Principal of SOS- HGVTC said the school which started with some few students in 1987 has a total population of 133 trainees for the 2007/2008 academic year.

Forty-seven students graduated after going through three years of diploma and certificate programmes in catering, secretarial and dressmaking.