The technical committee on the conversion of Polytechnics in Ghana into technical universities has set September 2016 as the effective starting date for the programme.
George Afeti, Chairman of the technical committee disclosed this at a recent stakeholders’ consultation forum on the exercise in Accra.
He explained that September 2016 was chosen for the commencement of the exercise in order to allow sufficient time to carefully evaluate the current status and readiness of the polytechnics for the upgrade.
Speaking at the forum, Afeti said the only challenge will be funding the programme. Therefore, he proposed a budget of GH¢9,000 per student annually for the programme.
“That is only 50 per cent of what the German system spends on the technical university students. GH¢9,000 is not much to ask for. That is why we must go slowly. That is why we must have a phased programme where the few polytechnics that become technical universities can benefit from adequate funding and then their products can then show that this is what you get from a good technical university,” he said.
Nicholas Nsowah-Nuamah, Chairman of the Conference of Rectors of Polytechnics stated that they have what it takes to get to that technical university level. “As I speak now some of us are already at that level,” he said.
The forum brought together stakeholders to brainstorm on the Technical Universities Bill and the report of the technical committee on the conversion of the Polytechnics to Technical Universities.
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