Professor Sampson Agodzo, Rector of the Wa Polytechnic, has asked the government to direct its educational policy towards getting students interested in the study of the sciences at the pre-tertiary level in order to reverse the current trend in manpower development.
He said the Polytechnics had been consistent in promoting science and technology programmes, yet they did not seem to get enough qualified students to take up the places offered, adding that though this had been talked about at policy level, no concrete decision had been taken to address the situation.
Professor Agodzo said this in his report at the first congregation of the Polytechnic at Wa at the weekend, during which the first three batches of 250 graduates were awarded with the Higher National Diploma in their respective fields of study.
Giving statistics from his Polytechnic to justify his call, he said with the current student population of 1,921, those offering tertiary courses were 1,355 representing 71 per cent, out of which 101 were pursuing Engineering, 295 offering Applied Science Technology while the Business school alone had 959 students.
He said the National norm suggested that for every four students admitted into the Sciences, there should be one corresponding student in the humanities but that it was the reverse in the Polytechnic where they had 2.4 humanity students per every science student.
Professor Agodzo announced that the Polytechnic had started implementing the competency-based learning programme in Agricultural Engineering with Bolgatanga, Ho and Tamale Polytechnics in 2006, under a NUFFIC funded project and that its merits in professional education delivery had began bearing fruits.
Graduates of this learning programme were well equipped for hands-on practical work that was demonstrated in the things they could do or must do.
The Polytechnic has established a modern Cosmetology clinic as a prerequisite to the commencement of a programme in Cosmetology.
This, the Rector said, was informed by the fact that the Cosmetology industry in Ghana was considered one of the demand-driven sectors where customers were demanding specialized services in dermatological treatments in order to improve their physical appearances and their general health.
The Polytechnic admitted a total of 772 students for various programmes made up of 516 tertiary students and 256 non-tertiary students this year.