
Stakeholders
in the education sector have expressed divergent opinions on the
discrimination between university graduates and their counterparts in
polytechnics and colleges of education.
Many
respondents, especially students, said there is apathy on the part of
students seeking admission into polytechnics and colleges of education
as a result of the discrimination.
Some
of the stakeholders spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in
separate interviews in major cities and towns across the country.
The
stakeholders are of the opinion that youths, parents and government
officials gave preference to university education system above other
tertiary education in the country.
Mrs
Naomi Adisa, a civil servant, told NAN in Lagos that the disposition of
many Nigerian parents towards the polytechnics and Colleges of
Education (COE) system was also responsible for the drop in the
enrolment into those institutions.
This,
according to her, stems from the dichotomy that had existed between the
Higher National Diploma (HND) certificate and the university degrees,
which had shaped the belief of many parents.
“For that reason, they believe that university system is the best for their children,’’ Adisa said.
In
his own submission, Mr Kehinde Olojede, the Deputy Provost, Federal
College of Education (Technical), Akoka, Lagos, said that average
students in colleges of education today are those who could not meet up
the university requirements.
“They
often turn to colleges of education because they do not want to waste
another year staying at home doing nothing,’’ he said.
Mr
Usman Dutse, the President, Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics,
believed that the societal perception about polytechnic education was a
factor discouraging youths from seeking admission into polytechnics and
colleges of education.
Dutse
told NAN that the societal belief and the educational system have
placed superiority and preference on the university education above
other tertiary institutions.
“During
admission, JAMB did not specify that first choice must be university
but because of the mindset of Nigerians, they feel university should
come first before the polytechnic,’’ he said.
He
said the dichotomy between the polytechnic graduates and their
university counterparts was a major setback and discouragement for
prospective students.
“Candidates
go through the same admission process, but when it comes to employment,
people with degrees are placed above those with diploma or NCE
certificates.
“The polytechnic graduates are placed on a lower rank while the university graduates are placed higher.
“This policy remains unfair and discouraging to prospective students and their parents,’’ he said.
He
said that out of more than 1.5 million candidates that sat for UTME in
2016, only 37,000 applied to the polytechnics, describing this as
discouraging.
But
some other stakeholders held contrary view, arguing that more
candidates were actually seeking admission into the colleges of
education and polytechnics.
Mrs
Omotunde Lawson, the immediate past President, All Nigeria
Confederation of Principals of Secondary School (ANCOPSS), Lagos State
chapter, said that JAMB had help to improve admission seekers into
Polytechnic and Colleges of Education.
Lawson told NAN that “contrary to held opinions, the enrolment into colleges of education has improved tremendously’’.
She attributed this to the UTME being conducted by JAMB that now places all tertiary institutions on the same pedestal.
The former ANCOPSS president said the enrolment into colleges of education was poor before JAMB introduced the modalities.
Also,
Mr Odunayo Adebowale, the Public Relations Officer, Adeniran Ogunsanya
College of Education, Ijanikin, said that there had been an increase in
the number of students admitted into college in the last two sessions.
According to him, while 1,250 students were admitted in 2015/2016 academic session, the figure rose to 1,875 in 2016/2017
“That is about 34 per cent increase,’’ Adebowale told NAN.
Speaking
from the perspective of technical education is the Head, West African
Examinations council (WAEC) in Nigeria, Mr Olu Adenipekun, said
continuous sensitisation was key towards tackling the poor perception of
the public about polytechnic and college of education systems.
He stressed the importance of technical educations and its graduates to the overall development of the country.
“I have also seen parents who advise their children to embrace polytechnic education,” he said.
According to the WAEC boss, the two system of education are meant to complement each other.
“The
discrimination of graduates of polytechnic over their university
counterparts by employers of labour, government officials and parents
had not also encouraged the youth,’’ Olanipekun added.
The
Public Relations Officer of JAMB, Dr Fabian Benjamin, said that
addressing admission disparity into varsity, Polytechnic and Colleges of
Education (COE), is a tall order.
Benjamin
told NAN in Bwari, FCT, that although JAMB was established to conduct
matriculation examination for entry into all Universities, Polytechnics
and COE in Nigeria, it was limited by candidates choices.
“The
Federal Government, under the auspices of the Ministry of Education,
will have to do something to remove the disparity and attract candidates
to study in both polytechnics and COE.
“The
issue of discrimination is not something we can eradicate, until
government put a deliberate policy in place to address it,” he said.
NAN
reports that the total number 47, 933 candidates applied for admission
into Polytechnic from 2015 to date, while 17, 154 were offered
admission.
Meanwhile,
36, 395 candidates had applied for admission into COE and the total of
13, 447 were offered admission in the last two years.
In
Enugu, Prof. Sunny Udeze of Enugu State University of Science and
Technology blamed drop on certificate disparity in the labour market on
government policies and officials.
Udeze,
former lecturer at the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu,
said that the discrimination ought not to be as universities and
polytechnics offer same theoretical curriculum and should complement
each other.
“Whereas
the polytechnic students study for five years with a year industrial
attachment included as well as a lot of practical knowledge learnt.
“So, I do not see the basis for the discrimination in certificate at all,’’ he said.
He,
however, called for the strengthening of Polytechnics and Colleges of
Education system since the universities available in the country could
not carry the teeming number of students seeking admission yearly.
Mr
Onuchukwu Obini, the Public Relations Officer of Federal Polytechnic,
Oko, disagreed, saying that the certificate disparity had not affected
students’ intake.
According
to him, rather than decreasing, the numbers of JAMB applicant seeking
polytechnic education have increased recently leaving the institutions
with no space.
“Just
last JAMB, about 25,000 students had Federal Polytechnic, Oko, as their
first choice; whereas the institution have 5,000 students as its
carrying capacity and could not admit more than its capacity,’’ Obini
said.
He,
however, noted that the greatest challenge facing polytechnic was
funding and infrastructure to provide modern facilities and procure
equipment for practical sessions.
Obini
also stressed the need for training and re-training of the teaching
staff to upgrade to use of digital and computer technology in their
lecture.
“There
is a need for our lecturers and students to undertake exchange
programmes with foreign institutions, especially those technologically
ahead to learn more,’’ he added.
On
his part, the Admission Officer of Enugu State College of Education
(Technical), Mr Benjamin Eze, admitted that the numbers of student
intake into certain programmes of the institution had significantly
reduced.
Eze
told NAN that the reduction was occasioned by the enforcement of the
regulation on admission by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board
(JAMB).
He
said that prior to the enforcement of the regulation by the admission
body there was surge in the intake of students by the school.
The
institution offers programmes in National Certificate on Education
(NCE) as well as degree programmes in affiliation with Nnamdi Azikiwe
University, Awka.
“The
numbers of students we admit into our regular programmes are now
regulated by JAMB, starting from the 2016/2017 academic session.
“For
the degree programme our quota is 300 while the NCE programmes are
1,550 and we cannot exceed that as the students are sent to us by JAMB,”
he said.
Prof.
Ben Ujunwa of the Imo State University, Owerri, said candidates believe
that after graduation, university graduates were given more preference.
“It is obvious that civil service placement put university certificate higher than the other,” he said.
Ujunwa added that while the number of intakes kept increasing in the university, that of the polytechnics kept decreasing.
He said that the problem must be addressed from the top to change the impression of candidates.
Also,
the Provost of Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri, Dr
Blessing Ijeoma, told NAN that the problem was more pronounced in the
Colleges of Education.
Ijeoma
said the intakes had dropped from 3,500 to 1,800 in the last three
years, and appealed for the urgent removal of the certificate
disparities.
A
lecturer in the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede in Owerri, Dr Frances
Ebere, stressed the need for a total restructuring of the education
system in the country.
“We are discriminated against and it will continue to play out if not addressed,” he said.
According to him, lecturers of polytechnics are not treated equally with their counterparts in the universities.
Prof.
Olatunde Fawole, the Rector of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, said that there
was no reason for the dichotomy between polytechnic and university
education, they suppose to complete each other.
He
said that in spite of the condemnation by different groups and
institutions, government was still reluctant to take proactive measures
to abolish the dichotomy between holders of Higher National Diploma and
degrees.
“
This issue has continued to drag on for so long even when the Committee
of Rectors in Nigeria has called on the government to finally address
the issue,’’ he said.
He
listed the challenges to include paucity of funds which had affected
overhead cost and the current economic recession facing the country.
The don called for improvement in the funding of polytechnic and colleges of education.
But
Olugbenga Adeyeye, the National President of National Association of
Polytechnic Students, said that as a result of inequalities crated by
policy makers, people view holders of HND and NCE as inferior to their
university counterparts.
“Consequently parents and guardians would do anything possible to secure university admission for their wards,’’ he said.
Precious
Adebare, a student of the College of Education in Ilorin said, “I never
wanted to come to the College of Education, but I had waited for years
for admission into the university without success.
“So you cannot blame people when they do not seek admission into COE or polytechnic,” she said.
Mr
Musbau Abdulkareem, the Head of Political Science Department, College
of Education, Oro, Kwara, said “every student now sees polytechnic and
Colleges of Education as a last option as they are afraid of being
discriminated against after graduation.’’
He called on government to ensure equal recognition to polytechnic and university graduates in the country.
Read more at http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/stakeholders-urges-removal-of-discrimination-between-university-and-polytechnic-education/185907.html#SXx56vHuLOqB3zeV.99
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