Convenor of the Ghana Environmental Advocacy Group (GEAG), Madam Elizabeth Allua Vaah, has urged stakeholders in education to bridge the gap between theoretical and practical studies in technical education in the country.
This, she noted, would result in quality and increase the output of work by the products from the various technical institutions in Ghana to fit into industry.
Madam Allua Vaah made the observation during her interaction with some past and continuing students of the Kikam Technical Institute (KIMTECH) in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region.
According to her, many of the students claim most of the training they received at the Institute was largely theoretical without enough practicals.
Madam Allua Vaah noted with concern that the Institute had been equipped with world class equipment, costing millions of dollars, and wondered why learners could not leave the school endowed with the skills required to drive Ghana’s technological development.
She said in her conversations with some master tradesmen in the area, she realised that the quality of equipment the school had was currently being underutilized.
‘The equipment, if used to its full capacity, had the potential to not only produce well qualified craftsmen, but could also earn the school substantial money and reduce its current over reliance on state support.
She said the multi-million dollar equipment was a World Bank funded project to support courses run by the Institute, such as Mechanics, Electronics, Welding and Hydraulics.
Mr Sallidom, Vice Principal of the Institute noted that the equipment was being underutilized due to lack of stakeholder concern, and that most of the trainees dodged practical lessons, coupled with apathy on the part of teachers, who assumed that the trainees should know everything.
The Vice-Principal added that funding from the government at GHc40.00 per student for practical lessons was not regular, adding that “when the money is delayed for a whole semester, practical work does not go on at the Institute.”
Mr Sallidom said students in second year went out for internship programmes aimed at sharpening their skills and to prepare them for the job market.
He said “the Institute will begin to tap the expertise of trainees to work and generate funds to run their Programmes and will not rely on the government alone”.
The Vice-Principal pointed out that the free education concept should have started with technical education, as the world was now technologically driven.
The Liaison Officer at the Institute, Mr Essien Anyimiah Dickson, confirmed the story of the Vice principal and said the Institute has designed a strategy to liaise with institutions and industries to track the performance of their students after internship Programmes.
The former Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah also expressed concern over the gap between theory and practice.
According to him, KIMTECM had the mandate from the government to train the required manpower to feed the oil and gas industry, so the institute should not fail the nation.
