The Principal, staff and students at Volta Technical Institute in the Ho Municipality have appealed to philanthropic organizations, public spirited individuals and government to help provide classroom blocks, dormitories and practical workshops to meet the appropriate standard.
According to the authorities, the current level of infrastructural development of the school could best be described as a low ranked technical institute compared with other state-owned technical institutions in the Volta Region.
The Principal of the School, Sampson Castro Wede, made the appeal through 3news during a visit by members of Institute of Engineering and Technology, Ghana (IET) as part of their yearly routine tour of Technical and Vocational Training institutions in the Volta Region to acquaint themselves with the level of work in such institutions.
Mr. Castro Wede noted that since the establishment of the school less than 20 years ago, it keeps struggling to attract students and staff due to lack of befitting classroom, bungalows and workshop structures.
The Principal stressed that following their continuous plea for support, the Matse community and 0ther philanthropic organizations, a 6-Unit classroom block was built. But due to lack hostels, the block was converted to boy’s dormitory to cater for the increasing number of students following the implementation of the free senior high education policy.
Mr. Wede also disclosed that for lack of accommodation for staff, authorities decided to divide another 4-unit classroom block into three segments to serve as a store, classrooms and a residential accommodation for the Senior House father who together with other staff commute from far to school.
He said the current population of students in the school which stands at 475 makes them not only clamour for space, which ultimately affects effective teaching and learning on campus.
According to him, the Ho Municipal Assembly started construction of a 6-unit storey classroom block, but the project has stalled for the past three years for no apparent reason. Authorities of the school are therefore pleading with the assembly to return to site and complete the project to accelerate infrastructural growth of the institute.
Interestingly Mr. Castro Wede bemoaned the lack of adequate infrastructure of the school, saying the situation compelled the school’s PTA, Matse Community and a public spirited individual to erect a 5-Unit as a workshop but this also is being used at the same time as the school’s assembly hall. The Institute’s infrastructural base is highly deficient as it is expected to complement government’s TVET programmes.
In terms of priority, the School Prefect and Girls Prefect, Justice Mensah Boaz and Beatrice Adutwum mentioned administration block, dormitories, classrooms, bungalows and a well-designed kitchen and dining hall to enhance effective and efficient teaching and learning.
The two prefects also appealed to the Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu to immediately facilitate the release of construction machines for the construction of sports and football fields and other games like volley and basketball courts to ensure full inclusion in co-curricula activities on campus.
The Volta Regional Chairman of Institute of Engineering and Technology Ghana (IET), Eng. Nestor Amekah who highlighted the significance of TVET in Ghana’s economic progression, said it has come to stay and that IET would not relent in its efforts to support TVET institutions in the country to realize the objective of the policy.
Eng. Amekah stressed that TVET is in line with Ghana government’s policy direction to turn-out highly skilled employable scholars which ultimately aims at reducing the ever-increasing unemployed youth.
“Gone were the days students who chose to offer technical and vocational courses were regarded as dropped-outs branding them as unproductive to society but now TVET has came to stay,” he emphasized.
As part of the visit to the Volta Technical Institute by members of Volta Region branch of IET, technical and vocational training workshop tools were offered to the institute to support teaching and learning.
Members of IET also visited Sokode Secondary and Technical School to show solidarity with staff and students following the recent violent clashes between the school and the Sokode community.
Unfortunately, the school was closed down indefinitely to pave way for dialogue. They were however received by the headmaster and few staff on campus.
