Fifteen students of the Vocational Department of the Volta School for the Deaf who excelled in the maiden National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) Proficiency Grade Two Examination in 2008 have been presented with certificates.
Mr Cudjoe D. S. Dzotepeh, Headmaster of the School, in an address called on stakeholders to modernize the format and content of vocational programmes and make training more demand-driven in the special schools.
He lauded the Special Education Division's new reforms of placing equal emphasis on academic education vis-à-vis technical and vocational programmes for the disabled in schools, saying this would make them more productive and employable.
Mr Dzotepeh noted that junior and senior high school graduates in special schools before the reforms were left to their fate especially, their vocational future, as many could not continue with the academic programmes resulting in their involvement in streetism, begging for alms and other negative activities.
He said the new programme was designed to enrol hearing-impaired students who were unable to proceed to SHS.
"It is expected that the one year general vocational programme preceded by a two-year specialized programme would enable the teachers and pupils to identify their interests and needs for proper placement," he explained.
Mr Dzotepeh said programmes offered include: dressmaking, tailoring, carpentry, kente weaving, batik, and tie and dye - leading to the award of NVTI Certificate Grades Two and One respectively.
He said the teaching process for vocational programme include, English Language, Basic Mathematics, Social Studies, Personal Hygiene, Information Communication Technology (ICT), practical activities and apprenticeship.
The headmaster said about 70 percent of training was allocated to practical activities at the workshop to facilitate skills acquisition for students to become self-reliant to contribute to national development.
Mr Dzotepeh, however, advised parents to liaise with the school's authorities to look for service providers in the communities where the students are expected to do industrial attachment during vacation.
He said successful candidates would be registered for the NVTI Grade One examination after performance monitoring and evaluation.
Mr Dzotepeh commended students for being studious and saluted teachers of the vocational department for their commitment and dedication to duty even in the face of unfavourable working conditions.