The management of the Hyundai – Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Technical Institute in Koforidua has said it may be compelled to shut down if it is not included in the government’s Free Senior High School (SHS) Policy.
Established to provide technical training to the youth, with $1.2million classroom facility and state of the art automotive technology practical centre, the institute, which is under the supervision of the Trade and Industry Ministry recorded its worst enrollment this year due to its exclusion from the Free SHS policy.
The inability of the Ghana Education Service (GES) to capture it under the free SHS policy, leading to the lowest enrollment figures recorded this year, sparked fear that the institute may collapse if the GES continues to overlook it in the implementation of the free SHS.
The Regional Manager of Gratis Foundation and Principal of the Institute, Isaac Osei Mensah told Starr News only 24 students have been admitted this year, instead of an annual average admission of 90.
“We are not part of the free SHS, so students are not posted to us.This has reduced the intake for this year. I have informed Gratis Head Office that clearly if it remains as it is then we will fold up that aspect of it,” said Osei Mensah.
The Regional Manager of Plan International Ghana, Adade Debrah, also a management member of the Institute, said it will be unwise for government to allow the school to collapse.
He said “this $1.2 million facility provided by Hyundai, Korea International cooperation (KOICA) and Plan International Ghana and must not be left to collapse.”
He urged government to immediately “absorb it [Institute] under the free SHS Policy,” noting that because of the government’s free-fee education policy foreign donors are unwilling to give scholarship to students in second cycle schools as a result scholarship schemes devised for some needy students particularly females in the Institute have been cancelled.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM/Kojo Ansah
