Kumasi Polytechnic admitted 2,841 students as against 7,400 students who applied for admission to pursue courses in applied Science, Engineering and Business and Management studies this year.

Dr. Lord Emmanuel Asamoah, Principal of the Kumasi Polytechnic who made this known at the 9th Matriculation ceremony of the Polytechnic in Kumasi on Saturday said the figure represents less than 40 percent of the total qualified applicants.

This year's intake has raised the population of the students from 125 in 1993 to 5,514 in the year 2002.

The Principal noted that the polytechnic is now poised to take its place of pride as a tertiary institution, but stressed that, "We still have serious problems to grapple with before we see the Promised Land".

"The nagging problem of insufficient staff, unattractive service conditions for staff, lack of sufficient classrooms, workshops, laboratory spaces, insufficient library books, computers and other teaching materials take their toll on the quality of technical education of the polytechnic, which the nation is yearning for".

Dr. Asamoah therefore, appealed to policy makers to translate their good intentions and policies into concrete actions to manifest their avowed commitment to quality polytechnic education.