By: Razak Baba
The Vice Chancellor of Kumasi Technical University, Professor Osei-Wusu Achaw has said the non-performance of Ghana’s economy is due to a large extent on the lack of technical and vocational education and training in the country’s education system.
He said Ghana’s education system over many years, until recently, has been academic track education based.
This effort has produced many graduates who can talk and debate but who are severely constrained when it comes to practical performance.
Prof. Osei-Wusu Achaw made the assertion at the launch of the Centenary celebrations of Mampong Technical College of Education at Asante Mampong, MAMTECH.
The Mampong Technical College of Education, MAMTECH, was established in 1922 by the British Colonial Government to serve as a Trade Training Centre during the governorship of Sir Gorden Guggisberg. It is currently the wholly male College of Education in the country, offering a four year Bachelor in Education Programme.
The College has over the years been a trailblazer in training and piloting programmes for the training of teachers to handle pre-technical skills at the basic level of education.
Since its establishment, the College has remained committed to technical education even though it has undergone at least eight re-designations.
It is currently the Centre of Excellence in technical and vocational competency skills. The institution is celebrating its Centenary this year, with the climax of activities in November.
The theme for the celebration is, “The Role of Technical/Vocational Education and Training in the National Development Agenda”.
Activities lined up include a float, soccer competition, clean up exercise, public lecture, inter- college debate, exhibition and a homecoming event.
The launch of the centenary celebrations at Asante Mampong was used to raise funds towards the construction of a three thousand 500-seating capacity auditorium.
The cost of the project is estimated at over four million Ghana Cedis.
Speaking at the launch of the event, the Nifahene of the Ejura sub-Traditional area, Nana Osei Kwadwo Ansebie who chaired the function commended stakeholders for the successes chalked by the College.
He appealed to alumni of the College to support the centenary auditorium project.
The Principal of the College, Mrs. Doris Boakye-Ansah used the occasion to remind President Akufo-Addo of a pledge he made during an official visit to Asante Mampong to provide the College an ultra-modern auditorium.
The Vice Chancellor of Kumasi Technical University, Professor Osei-Wusu Achaw whose address was read for him as the Guest Speaker by the Dean of International Affairs and Institutional Linkage, Professor Gabriel Dwomoh blamed the non-performance of Ghana’s economy to a large extent on the lack of technical and vocational education and training in the country’s education system.
