The Implications of the new Polytechnics Act, 2007 (Act 745), for Curriculum Development and Review in Ghanaian Polytechnics

Abstract

Change is inevitable, and as an educational institution in a dynamic global environment, Polytechnics face the challenge of responding to the constant flux of changes in its environment in order to remain relevant. This paper presents a case of change for Ghanaian Polytechnics and highlights the need for response. The change is that until the passage of the new Polytechnics Act, (Act 745) in 2007, the National Board for Professional and Technician Examination (NAPTEX) under the NAPTEX Act, (Act 492), 1994, as part of its oversight responsibilities for non-University tertiary institutions, had the mandate for curriculum leadership in Polytechnics. This system, though well-intentioned, had its own drawbacks. With academic autonomy, however, this responsibility reverts to the Polytechnics, vested in the Academic Board. What become necessary for discussion are the implications of this change and the need for appropriate responses. The purpose of this paper is to examine the implications of this change for curriculum leadership – the planning, coordinating, implementation, evaluation and review of curriculum – in Polytechnic under the new Act.

Keywords: change, curriculum, curriculum development, Polytechnics