|
Vocational and technical training,
not for school dropouts -Educationist
Tema, July 26, Ghanadot/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.
GNA
|
