Vunderkind
Social Member
Academic activities in Nigeria’s public polytechnics have been paralyzed for the past 10 months (which is over one academic year) due to the strike action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (#ASUP) and the slow pace of action in resolving it by the education ministry. The demands of ASUP are deemed genuine and rightful as this is a timely intervention to the disaster waiting to rock the Nigeria education system.
Going by the figures available, Nigeria is a nation that is educationally disadvantaged. This is corroborated by the mass failure of students writing the #SSCE (#WAEC) examination, the direct implication of which is the re-writing of the exam again and again for students who fail to make the paper.
Also when you compare the number of secondary school graduate yearly to the number of #JAMB #UTME applicants, it is obvious that there is a population explosion in excess, that is, over 70% of students that applied for JAMB the previous year are still re-applying the next year due to their inability to gain admission into tertiary institutions. In most cases these students get frustrated after many trials and they end up on the streets (they also constitute the high number of unemployed youths).
The slightly lucky students who are able to gain admission into tertiary institution may not know what the future holds for them, especially the ones admitted into polytechnics and colleges of technology as our universities do not have the capacity to admit all the students that choose them as preferred choice of institution even when they have passed the POST-UTME exam as the case may be. Most of the students who were not admitted by university will have to seek alternatives in polytechnics and colleges of technology/education.
Due to the present dichotomy and disparity between #HND and #BSc. holders, the polytechnic applicant is already an inferior to the university student in the making even before he\she started the polytechnic program or course......
To this end if the number of JAMB UTME applicants is compared to the numbers of students who successfully gained admission to both university, polytechnics and even college of education yearly, then our education system is on the decline as only 30.5% of over 1.7 million of students that sat for the 2013 UTME exams were admitted into tertiary institution (both public and private) in Nigeria. The former education minister Rukkayat Ruffai confirmed this. Now, if that is the case, what then is the fate of the over 1.2 million left? Wait for the next year and still add up to the fresh SSCE school leavers?
This is a clear case proving that the Nigerian education system is seriously lagging behind and in the best interest of this nation and its future leaders as repeatedly being mentioned by the Mr. President and most public office holders, the Nigerian education system should not harbor any form of disparity or dichotomy.
SOLUTIONS
Review and upgrade the Nigerian tertiary education curriculum which is obsolete and outdated to meet with international standard. This will curb the menace of Nigerians running to other African countries where the admission process is not too ambiguous.
Upgrading of academic facilities in all our polytechnics and colleges of technology/education to prepare students ahead of challenges to be encountered in industries.
Total removal of dichotomy and disparity between the HND holders and BSC holders in career progression and job placement to enable HND holders rise to the highest post in both public and private establishment and compete favorably with BSC holders without any form of discrimination, because that will be clinically suicidal if after the mandatory 5years HND students are expected to spend in school they are still been relegated behind BSC holders who mostly spend 4years in school.
Establishment of polytechnics commission which will be responsible for accreditation of courses in polytechnics and defaulting institution will be discredited. This will enable proper checks and balancing and close monitoring and control of the polytechnic education.
Enable selected polytechnics based on merit (that have met the standard laid down and deemed fit) to become degree-awarding institutions (B-TECH) and also creation of a bridging course that will enable ND holders cross to any university of their choice as 300 level students after meeting the established standards.
Accreditation and recognition of National Innovative Diploma (NID) institutions. This will open up more options for students as they can cross to any polytechnic or university after completion of NID programs. This will also ease the pressure on universities and polytechnics. .
Accreditation and upgrading of home science, technical colleges, monotechnics, and health science institutions to offer affiliate programs with established universities and also allowing them to offer NID programs.
Upgrading of colleges of education to enable graduates to observe youth service and/create a bridging course that can facilitate them been awarded degree from universities of their choice.
Creation of a regulatory commission to check the activities of all public and private post-secondary school institution to ensure that set standards are adhered to strictly.
Proper funding of all educational institutes and making sure the funds are judiciously utilized.
ON ASUP STRIKE
10 months of strike action and no forthcoming solution shows the lack of empathy and commitment on the part of the government and education ministry. It took the National Assembly 8 months to realize that ASUP is on strike and the Assembly has only recently intervened.
In whatever case the students are always on the receiving end because after wasting one academic year at home if the strike is finally called off and ASUP demands are not met, then we the students have lost at both ends and will be rendered helpless.
I hereby call on everyone that is involved in this strike issue to proffer a lasting solution and tentatively tackle the remote cause to prevent further disaster and curb the academic bomb waiting to explode in this country Nigeria.
Yours in pragmatic struggle,
Comrade Jacob Solomon Sunday
President, Polymer and Textile Students Association
Yaba College of Technology
Member, Education Right Campaign (ERC)
08164693304
CC:
Ministry of education
National assembly committee on education
Academic staff union of polytechnic
All media houses
The general public and fellow students
Going by the figures available, Nigeria is a nation that is educationally disadvantaged. This is corroborated by the mass failure of students writing the #SSCE (#WAEC) examination, the direct implication of which is the re-writing of the exam again and again for students who fail to make the paper.
Also when you compare the number of secondary school graduate yearly to the number of #JAMB #UTME applicants, it is obvious that there is a population explosion in excess, that is, over 70% of students that applied for JAMB the previous year are still re-applying the next year due to their inability to gain admission into tertiary institutions. In most cases these students get frustrated after many trials and they end up on the streets (they also constitute the high number of unemployed youths).
The slightly lucky students who are able to gain admission into tertiary institution may not know what the future holds for them, especially the ones admitted into polytechnics and colleges of technology as our universities do not have the capacity to admit all the students that choose them as preferred choice of institution even when they have passed the POST-UTME exam as the case may be. Most of the students who were not admitted by university will have to seek alternatives in polytechnics and colleges of technology/education.
Due to the present dichotomy and disparity between #HND and #BSc. holders, the polytechnic applicant is already an inferior to the university student in the making even before he\she started the polytechnic program or course......
To this end if the number of JAMB UTME applicants is compared to the numbers of students who successfully gained admission to both university, polytechnics and even college of education yearly, then our education system is on the decline as only 30.5% of over 1.7 million of students that sat for the 2013 UTME exams were admitted into tertiary institution (both public and private) in Nigeria. The former education minister Rukkayat Ruffai confirmed this. Now, if that is the case, what then is the fate of the over 1.2 million left? Wait for the next year and still add up to the fresh SSCE school leavers?
This is a clear case proving that the Nigerian education system is seriously lagging behind and in the best interest of this nation and its future leaders as repeatedly being mentioned by the Mr. President and most public office holders, the Nigerian education system should not harbor any form of disparity or dichotomy.
SOLUTIONS
Review and upgrade the Nigerian tertiary education curriculum which is obsolete and outdated to meet with international standard. This will curb the menace of Nigerians running to other African countries where the admission process is not too ambiguous.
Upgrading of academic facilities in all our polytechnics and colleges of technology/education to prepare students ahead of challenges to be encountered in industries.
Total removal of dichotomy and disparity between the HND holders and BSC holders in career progression and job placement to enable HND holders rise to the highest post in both public and private establishment and compete favorably with BSC holders without any form of discrimination, because that will be clinically suicidal if after the mandatory 5years HND students are expected to spend in school they are still been relegated behind BSC holders who mostly spend 4years in school.
Establishment of polytechnics commission which will be responsible for accreditation of courses in polytechnics and defaulting institution will be discredited. This will enable proper checks and balancing and close monitoring and control of the polytechnic education.
Enable selected polytechnics based on merit (that have met the standard laid down and deemed fit) to become degree-awarding institutions (B-TECH) and also creation of a bridging course that will enable ND holders cross to any university of their choice as 300 level students after meeting the established standards.
Accreditation and recognition of National Innovative Diploma (NID) institutions. This will open up more options for students as they can cross to any polytechnic or university after completion of NID programs. This will also ease the pressure on universities and polytechnics. .
Accreditation and upgrading of home science, technical colleges, monotechnics, and health science institutions to offer affiliate programs with established universities and also allowing them to offer NID programs.
Upgrading of colleges of education to enable graduates to observe youth service and/create a bridging course that can facilitate them been awarded degree from universities of their choice.
Creation of a regulatory commission to check the activities of all public and private post-secondary school institution to ensure that set standards are adhered to strictly.
Proper funding of all educational institutes and making sure the funds are judiciously utilized.
ON ASUP STRIKE
10 months of strike action and no forthcoming solution shows the lack of empathy and commitment on the part of the government and education ministry. It took the National Assembly 8 months to realize that ASUP is on strike and the Assembly has only recently intervened.
In whatever case the students are always on the receiving end because after wasting one academic year at home if the strike is finally called off and ASUP demands are not met, then we the students have lost at both ends and will be rendered helpless.
I hereby call on everyone that is involved in this strike issue to proffer a lasting solution and tentatively tackle the remote cause to prevent further disaster and curb the academic bomb waiting to explode in this country Nigeria.
Yours in pragmatic struggle,
Comrade Jacob Solomon Sunday
President, Polymer and Textile Students Association
Yaba College of Technology
Member, Education Right Campaign (ERC)
08164693304
CC:
Ministry of education
National assembly committee on education
Academic staff union of polytechnic
All media houses
The general public and fellow students
