Accra, June 13, GNA - About 60 per cent of vocational schools in the country are operating below required standards. Mr. George Aboagye Okyere, Head of Monitoring and Evaluation of the National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI), who made this known in Accra

on Friday, also expressed worry about the mushrooming of vocational schools.

Mr. Okyere was speaking at a meeting with members of the Greater Accra Branch of the Ghana National Association of Vocational and Technical Training Institutions (GNAVTI) to explain to them an exercise being undertaken by NVTI

to strengthen vocational and technical education. He said it was unfortunate that some individuals who had some training in vocational skills had decided to provide training with no regard for NVTI requirements. "Some are even using their kitchens for catering practical work," he added.

Mr. Okyere said to reverse the trend, the NVTI had begun a re-registration and monitoring exercise to ensure that vocational institutions provided quality training.

He stated that, the exercise would also enable the NVTI to track all vocational and technical schools to upgrade their facilities to meet requirements under the new educational reform.

Mr. Ebenezer K. Ennim, National Vice President of GNAVTI, confirmed the poor compliance to NVTI standards, attributing it to location and inadequate resources.

He said, the situation was common in the rural areas, because the schools were not adequately resourced to recruit qualified teachers and to get the facilities.

Mr. Ennim also said the situation was different in the cities, since the schools were compelled to conform to the NVTI requirements due to intense competition or risk losing out of business.