As HND Discrimination Bill narrowly scales
second reading in senate
Abuja – The Bill for an Act to Abolish and
Prohibit Dichotomy and Discrimination between
First Degrees and Higher National Diploma in the
same Profession/Field and related matters on
Wednesday scaled second reading in the Senate.
The bill, which scaled second reading after
heated debate at plenary on its relevance, seeks
to resolve controversy over wage disparity and
gross discrimination against HND holder in public
and private sectors of the economy.
The Senate President, Sen. David Mark in his
remarks, said it would be difficult to legislate on
the bill, given that polytechnics were not
originally established to be degree awarding
institutions.
He said rather than canvass for abolishion of the
dichotomy, polytechnics should be changed to
degree awarding institutions.
“ The problem here is whether we can legislate
on this. I think obviously that is not going to
work for several reasons that we have all
advanced here.
“We can’t legislate here and say you must
employ an HND instead of employing somebody
with B.SC.
“I think it is more of attitude than what we can
legislate on but we can get an arrangement
where the polytechnics begin to award degrees,
in which case the polytechnics will no more be
polytechnics; they will be universities,’’ he said.
Mark, who did not outrightly condemn the bill,
said it should be sent for public hearing, to get
the views of relevant stakeholders on the way
forward on the issue of dichotomy.
He, however, said that “our attempt really to
equate HND to a degree is not likely to work.
Nobody who has done a degree has gone back
to the polytechnic to do HND and you can’t
blame that logic.
“The whole essence of allowing the bill to go
through second reading and public reading is for
us to get more ideas about how to get the way
forward.
“That will be the only benefit that will come out
it’’, he said.
The lead debate, presented by Sen. Patrick
Akinyelure (PDP-Ondo), highlighted the need to
abolish the discrimination between HND and First
Degree.
Akinyelure said the continuing discrimination
against HND holders was threatening to ruin the
nation’s core policy thrust of evolving a
technological and scientifically based society.
He said that findings had proved that some
polytechnic graduates were in some cases better
on the field than their university counterparts.
“To all intents and purposes, a government
employment policy that places degree holders
ahead of HND holders without recourse to skill
and ability of the HND holder thereof does more
harm than good to the nation’s development
plans.
“Therefore, the aim of the bill is to promote the
technological advancement of our great nation
by encouraging many qualified candidates to
pursue polytechnic and technological
advancement,’’ he said.
Some lawmakers, however, argued that rather
than seeking to abolish the dichotomy, efforts
should be made to transform all polytechnics to
degree awarding institutions.
The Deputy Senate President, Sen. Ike
Ekweremadu, said even if the bill did not
succeed, it would help to raise awareness on the
dysfunctional nature of the country’s educational
system.
He decried the growing trend where polytechnics
offered courses outside their field, adding that in
order to correct the abnormally, all polytechnics
should be converted to degree awarding
institutions.
“All we need now is to expand the knowledge
base of our polytechnics, increase entry
qualification and employ qualified teachers for
the polytechnics.
“We should then make conscious effort to set
up technical schools that would award only
diploma to support our industries and help the
system industrially.
“To say we will abolish the dichotomy is difficult.
The committee to handle the bill should invite
experts to look into harmonising the
institutions,’’ he said.
On his part, Sen. ITA Enang (PDP-Akwa Ibom)
decried the poor standard of some polytechnics
in the country.
He called on the regulatory body in charge of
polytechnics to adequately regulate the
establishment of the institution in the country.
“I have seen polytechnics operate in two
bedroom flats and this is the situation that
brings suspicion about the quality of our
polytechnics.
“I have also seen standard polytechnics and the
quality of their product compete favourably with
universities.”
He called on relevant agencies to improve on
the carrying capacity of universities to
accommodate all those seeking admissions.
He also called for harmonisation of universities
and polytechnics to help manage a situation
where people went to polytechnics because they
could not secure admission into universities.
“This bill should pass a second reading to find
solution to the problem. I support this bill,’’ he
said.
Sen. Chris Ngige (APC-Anambra) said in as much
as he sympathised with HND holders, the bill
should be dropped.
He said that relevant agencies should rather
harmonise the institutions and make
polytechnics degree awarding institutions.
“The bill evokes emotion but laws should not be
made based on that to avoid mistakes. This has
to do with fundamental structure of the
education sector.
“Let us conserve the resources of the senate; it
will not go through second reading,’’ he said.
Sen. Abubakar Bagudu ( PDP-Kebbi), a member of
Senate Committee Education, said if the
dichotomy should be abolished, there would be
standardisation of policy.
He argued that standardisation of policy was
vital because universities and polytechnics had
different structures.
“The university is theory and research oriented
as compared to polytechnic which is supposed
to turn out industrial ready graduates,’’ he said.
Similarly, Prof. Olusola Adeyeye (APC-Osun), the
Vice Chairman of Senate Committee on
Education, canvassed for the harmonisation of
the institutions to enable polytechnics to award
degrees.
“I believe that for as long as there is difference
in admission standard and training for both
institutions of learning, there will be difference
in employment.
“ Let us go the U.S. way and equalise both
polytechnics and universities and have
specialised institutions to handle the technical
aspect.’’
The lawmaker explained that Nigeria inherited
the polytechnic system from the colonial
masters, who thought of having a middle level
manpower where people could be trained
without the lengthy period in university.
He further explained that UK subsequently
abolished the system after meeting the purpose
for which it was established to meet its
industrial need.
“We need to make the admission standard the
same for polytechnics and universities; forget
the dichotomy issue. It is a lie to say you need
HND to run an industrial state,” he said.(NAN)





source: www.vanguardngr.com/2014/10/findings-proved-polytechnic-graduates-better-university-counterparts/

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