Accra, June 16, GNA - Accra Polytechnic would begin a one-and-a-half years Bachelors of Technology programme this September, Professor Ralf K. Asabere, Principal of the Polytechnic announced in Accra on Thursday.

Speaking at a press conference, Professor Asabere said the programme would offer HND holders the opportunity to pursue the degree courses in Science, Laboratory Technology, Fashion Design and Textile, Hotel, Catering and Institutional Management, Mechanical Engineering and Building Technology. He said Secretaryship and Management Studies, Bilingual Studies, Accountancy, Purchasing and Supply, Marketing and Electrical Engineering would still remain HND awarding programmes.

Professor Asebere said some departments were ready with the syllabus for the new courses, which the Ministry of Education had agreed should be run. The next step, he said, was for the National Accreditation Board to assess the capability of the institution to run it in terms of availability of facilities. He said the Polytechnic was ready for the take-off of the programme this year with 40 students as lecture rooms and some of the needed equipment were available.

He said the 70 lecturers at the Polytechnics were well prepared for the programme, adding that he had also discussed job placement after the programme with professional bodies. "They would be considered as practical degree holders," he added. Professor Asebere said the Polytechnic could not sponsor students to pursue degree programmes, adding that the course content of a university bachelor's degree was not the same as that of the polytechnic. In order not to lose focus of the polytechnic programme it was necessary to have degree programmes done in the polytechnics. "We have a system which does not cater for diploma certificate and we want to eliminate that kind of system because diploma holders are frustrated after completion. He said government was interested in the sciences, adding that the new course would be an academic progression for HND holders and senior secondary school leavers would not be accepted for the degree programmes.

Professor Asebere noted that the new programme was also a way of improving the qualification of staff. He said he had sought affiliation with other polytechnics abroad, including South Bank University in London and Vassa Polytechnic in Finland for students to go on linkage programmes. Two students, a male and female, would be leaving in August for the linkage programme in Finland, and students and staff of those universities would also come to Ghana.