C - Poly students and alumni demonstrate over exclusion

Betty

March 1, 2016 11:43 AM

The protesters blocked all roads leading to the school preventing even the rector of the school from entering the campus in his vehicle.

The exclusion of Cape Coast polytechnic from the technical universities list has affected enrollment. This is the sentiment of angry students and alumni of the school who staged a protest this morning.

The general secretary of the Cape Coast polytechnic alumni association Richmond Yeboah speaking to Pulse.com.gh says “we will not sit down for the Polytechnic to collapse,”

He said enrollment will be affected drastically and this is evident in the polytechnic forms already on the market.

“ As I speak with you since we started selling the forms, Cape Coast polytechnic has sold only two forms which is unprecedented,” Yeboah says.

Six out of the ten polytechnics have made the cut for the conversion to technical universities as promised by the NDC administration.

The six as announced by President Mahama in the State of the Nation address on February 25, 2016 are Kumasi, Ho , Takoradi, Sunyani , Accra and Koforidua polytechnics. The six according to the president made the 16 point criteria for the conversion.

Some critics in the education sector have argued against this conversion. They contend that the conversion cannot happen without the requisite infrastructure, a huge investment government may not have the finances to engage in.

But Deputy minister of Education in charge of tertiary Samuel Okudjeto Ablakwa says the necessary infrastructure upgrade will be done gradually.

He also says the remaining four which could not make the cut will be assisted to meet the requirement for the conversion so they are not left behind in the coming years.

But the demonstrators are not satisfied with this explanation. Yebaoh says they “will do demonstrations, go to court and compel government to include Cape Coast polytechnic . We will not sit there and allow Cape Coast polytechnic to collapse”

Betty