The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) National President, Anderson Ezeibe, has appealed to the Federal Government to empower polytechnics to award ‘Bachelor of Technology’ to end the Bachelor of Science and Higher National Diploma dichotomy.
Ezeibe disclosed this in Kaduna, during an award presentation and farewell ceremony organised by ASUP, Makarfi Chapter to mark the transition of Shehu Idris Collage of Health Sciences and Technology, Makarfi into Kaduna State University.
It was reported that Governor Nasir El-Rufai merged Shehu Idris Collage with Kaduna State University (KASU) to be awarding degrees.
The president said that with the transition, Shehu Idris Collage is no longer a member of ASUP, but now a member of the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
He said; “ASUP is currently advocating the award of Bachelor of Technology by Nigerian polytechnics system. HND is no longer as attractive as it used to be to Nigerian youths because of the age-long dichotomy.’’
“Policy makers have made it a rule that once an individual has an HND, he cannot attain the peak of his/her career, then why are they continuing to force it on people, why don’t they phase it out and replace it with Bachelors of Technology?”
“In Europe, Germany, UK, America and all parts of the world, polytechnics are not limited to middle level manpower.’’
“In the new polytechnic act, they are empowered to produce higher level manpower without limit, as we speak, many polytechnics are producing degree holders but in affiliation.’’
“They are doing it with their own infrastructure and staff, why can’t they do it in name of another institution.’’
“We are on serious advocacy regarding this and we have recently submitted a position paper to the Federal Government on the need to transit from the award of HND to Bachelors, Masters and Doctorate degrees in technology with the Nigeria polytechnic system.’’
“So, if they are not ready to improve HND, they should phase it out and replace it with degrees in technology so as for us to continue to dwell in our own area of competence which is technical education.’’