Editor of the Patriot Newspaper, Peter Bamfo, has asserted that it is only the National Democratic Congress (NDC) that has shown commitment to technical and vocational education in the fourth republic.
He made this assertion in a special edition of the Happy Morning Show dubbed ‘Editors’ Take’.
“In our country, a lot of emphases has been placed on formal education. Meanwhile, there is an essential part of this sector we are refusing to give attention to, which is technical and vocational education. The only government in the history of this country, under the fourth republic that has given so much attention to technical and vocational education is the NDC government”.
According to him, the New Patriotic Party government failed to structure the technical and vocational education system even after introducing the Free SHS policy and that he believes deprives skillful children of improving their craft.
“Even with the free SHS programme, we expected that this government will focus on vocational and technical education. But we are not seeing that. We have a wholesale approach that children who have the skill of creating things with their hands have all been lumped up to go to free SHS. And so they are there and they are not able to find their feet”, he added.
Former President John Mahama has promised that he will make Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) free at all levels should he become president after the December polls.
However, in his fourth State of the Nation Address on February 20, 2020, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo categorically stated that TVET has always been part of the Free SHS policy.
By: Alberta Dorcas N D Armah