The Botoku Technical Institute in the Volta Region is on the brink of collapse due to severe staffing shortages, lack of resources, and poor management, according to concerns raised by students, staff, and the local community. Established in the 1993/1994 academic year as a non-formal training centre, the school was later revamped under the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) initiative but has struggled to stay operational.
Key issues include the absence of a full-time qualified teaching staff—except for the principal—and a lack of essential resources like woodwork tools, sewing machines, and catering equipment. These challenges have led to dwindling enrolment, from 49 students to just 31, with only four new students admitted this academic year.
The school’s acting caretaker, Victor Abotsi, revealed that volunteer teachers, funded by a retired community member, are unsustainable. The community is urging TVET and the Ministry of Education to provide qualified teachers, improve infrastructure, and replace the principal, who they allege has vacated his post. However, the principal, Edem Asong, claims he has only been temporarily absent to pursue further studies.
With the school’s future uncertain, the community is calling for urgent intervention to revive the institute and make it a viable option for technical education in the region.
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