Sumbrungu (UE), June 27, GNA- Mr. Mahama Ayariga, Deputy Minister of Education, has expressed concern about poor performance of students in science related subjects in many second cycle intuitions in the Upper East Region.

He said such abysmal performance affected the intake of students to pursue science and engineering programmes at the tertiary level. The Minister expressed the concern during the second congregation of the Bolgatanga Polytechnic where a total number of 286 students graduated.

Out of the number only 79 of them graduated in Science and engineering related courses.

He said the situation was not the best especially in the 21st century when Science, Mathematics and Engineering were among the pillars for the development of nations.

He challenged the Ghana Education Service, basic and second cycle schools and other major stakeholders in education to come up with common and effective strategies to combat the menace.

"Management of GES, Basic and Second Cycle institutions and other major stakeholders need to re-strategize, re-focus and re-position themselves to address the phenomenon".

Mr. Ayariga said government was much committed to the development of polytechnic education because it was established to train middle manpower of the nation to power the engine of growth.

"Based on this, government since 2008 has increased the budgetary allocation to Polytechnics to more than 40 per cent and is still working hard to increase infrastructure development of the schools".

He announced that plans were ongoing to provide each of the Regions with a science laboratory to enable them carry out their practical training programmes and research work and that the Bolgatanga Polytechnic was one of the beneficiary institutions.

He indicated that government had obtained funding to support technical and vocational institutions in the country of which some of the country's polytechnics would benefit.

On teaching, the deputy Minister challenged polytechnics to go into agreement with people working in the industries to routinely lecture students of polytechnics and said it would empower them more on the job market.

The Chairman of the Polytechnic Council, Mr. Donald Adabre, in his welcome address, appealed to the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND) and the Ministry of Education (MOE) to provide the Polytechnic with a modern purpose auditorium and modern laboratory complex to enhance quality teaching and learning.