Upgrading polytechnics to technical universities in Ghana and its future outcomes: a document review approach

摘要

This study reviews and equates the historical upgrade of Ghana's polytechnics to technical universities compared to the United Kingdom and South Africa, including its processes as a borrowed educational policy. Furthermore, it critically reviews the policy's incubation process, the borrowing process, the implementation process and the actual outcome of the policy in action. The study reveals the loopholes as an elusive decision to convert the ex-polytechnics and its managers' harshly misplaced priorities of mimicking academic universities. Although the conversions proved essential to its core mandate, we argue that the focus was to be given to curriculum, teacher development and infrastructure funding. Improvements in the standing and prestige of Ghana's technical universities are seen as a conversion consequence. However, maintaining a vocational and technical focus and guaranteeing the necessary resources and facilities for the newly transformed institutions may present difficulties. Finally, the study reveals reflective characteristics of historical happenings in the UK and South Africa compared to Ghana.

关键词