Alavanyo (V/R), Oct. 27, GNA - Government is committed to restructuring the educational system in the country by placing more emphasis on technical and vocational training for national development. Mr Yaw Barimah, Minister for Manpower Development and Employment, announced this at the Silver Jubilee Celebration of the Evangelical Presbyterian (EP) Church Trade Training Centre (EPTTC) at Alavanyo in the Hohoe District at the weekend.

He said the situation whereby vocational training was looked down upon as the domain for non-academic performers, will be a thing of the past, adding that there would be a two-tie educational system for pure academic and technical/vocational education.

Mr Yaw Barimah said the government had decided to allocate some money from the HIPC fund for the construction of business studies and computer block for the Centre in appreciation of the efforts of the Church towards education.

He announced that the authorities would support persons with skills and were in established business of their own.

Mr Barima said the government had set up 50 billion cedis fund, out of which five billion cedis had been allocated for the first batch of the Youth Entrepreneurs.

On the Alavanyo-Nkonya conflict, the Minister stated that the positive development of a people could only take place in an atmosphere of peace adding, "Where there is no peace progress is retarded".

He, therefore, appealed to the two towns to avoid settling the dispute through violence but by employing dialogue.

Mr Barimah said the recent Alavanyo-Nkonya conflict had robbed the government of billions of cedis, which could have been used to provide facilities for the community.

He expressed the hope that dispute between the two communities would be settled amicably to enhance development.

Mr Barimah warned the people about the HIV/AIDS pandemic and urged them to help prevent the disease from spreading.

The Right Reverend Livingstone Buama, Moderator of the EP Church, said the Jubilee launch was not only for the celebration, but also for stocktaking, agenda setting.

Mr George Yevu, Director of the National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI), asked communities in the country to set up trade centres to train the youth in vocational skills.

He said the institute would support any community that would initiate measures to train the youth.

Mr Newton Kwadwo Atengbley, Manager of EPTTC, expressed his gratitude to the Breman Mission and Alavanyo Shop Detmold in Germany for contributing towards the development of the centre.

He said: "They provided us with 61.5 million cedis to put up two students hostels to accommodate the students of the centre and 35 million cedis to rehabilitate the centre's vehicle".

Mr Atengbley commended the Hohoe and Jasikan District Assemblies for awarding contracts to the students of the centre and hoped other districts would do so.

He appealed to the people of Alavanyo to refrain from encroaching on the centre's land to enable it undertake its agricultural projects.