Sunyani (B/A), May 20, GNA- Nana Kwadwo Seinti, Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, has advised students of Polytechnics to use dialogue and various arbitration and administrative procedures to resolve disputes.

You should not take to the streets to incur the displeasure of the public, he said, adding that such acts tended to mar their own reputation, he told the students.

This was contained in a speech read for him at the launch of the Sunyani Chapter of the Ghana National Union of Polytechnic Students (GNUPS) in Sunyani.

The theme for the celebration was "The role of stakeholders in the sustenance of Polytechnic education".

The Minister noted that the success of polytechnic education depended on the students themselves and advised them to concentrate on their studies and refrain from smoking, immoral behaviours, alcoholism and truancy, which he said could adversely affect their studies. Nana Seinti announced that the school had been allocated seven billion cedis from the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND) to enhance its infrastructure.

Five billion cedis out of the amount had been paid to the school, he added.

The Regional Minister cautioned the students to be wary of politicians who would attempt to infiltrate their ranks to solicit for "power" and cause confusion during the electioneering campaigns.

In a welcoming address, Mr. Ernest Naar, President of the Student Representative Council (SRC) advised GNUPS to help reverse the general misconception about polytechnic education and called for policies on job replacement, academic progression and better conditions of service for polytechnic staff.

He urged the students to exercise maximum tolerance, restraint and comportment in solving disputes.

Mr Frederick Yidana of Sunyani Polytechnic Chapter said GNUPS was the sole and recognised mouthpiece of polytechnic students, adding that it was an autonomous and non-partisan union seeking the welfare of polytechnic students.

He said the country could come out of poverty and rub shoulders with the rest of the world if the government refocused attention on technical and vocational education.

Dr. Kwasi Nsiah Gyabaah, Principal of Sunyani. Polytechnic, advised GNUPS to work hard to reverse the misconception people have about their approach to issues and strengthen government-polytechnic relations through consultations.

He advised the students to use their free time to undertake communal labour and educate communities on good sanitation. Dr. Gyabaah commended the government for the provision of good tertiary education and appealed for more equipment, tools and computers.

Mr. Joe Donkor, Deputy Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, said the government was increasingly updating its performance in tertiary education development, and that it had virtually completed drafting an improved students loan scheme, which would be operational in due course.

He announced that the government was exploring additional means for funding tertiary education and welcomed suggestions from all stakeholders including those in the education-user group. 20 May 04