No independent yet

So because Britian and America have changed their polytechnics to universities, Nigeria should as well change hers, abi?? We like follow-follow i dont know why; and that is what is making us develop negatively. We really need independence in nigeria. Look at China, Japan, Korea, India, Brazil and others, they are doing better than nigeria because they refuse to copy from America and Britian. Let nigeria learn to develop on its own rather than relying on America and Britian.

Look at Taiwan and Indonatia they are up. Brother when are we going to move?

Hnd-holder:

Look at Taiwan and Indonatia they are up. Brother when are we going to move?

We can only move when we stop copying from Britian and America and become fully independent.

Indepent technologically you mean?

Hnd-holder:

Indepent technologically you mean?

Yes o, Technological independence is what i'm talking about, like what is obtainable in Japan, China, India, Indonesia, Taiwan, malaysia and even Libya.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200612130713.html

Why the incessant agitation for polytechnic to award degrees.

Generally it's a convention globally. Like the MIT in the US , it is awarding degree up to PhD, and it is still a polytechnics. The craze about diploma, if it is the thing that leads to the discrimination let the polytechnics continue to award degrees and even higher degrees because they have the human capability and in some respects they have the infrastructure to do that. So we are appealing to government to move in line with the trend, global trend. It is not just copying one part and leaving the other. Government should be able to copy whole and entire what is available in the US, even in South Africa and Egypt where their polytechnics award degrees and still continue to operate as such because we have a unique challenge, we have a distinct policy or package of focus for the development of this country. And I want to say that the whole idea about technological and industrial development of this country lies in the proper funding of the polytechnic education. Outside this, nothing is happening, the universities are institutions that produce mere technocrats, that is people who dream, but it is the technicians and technologists produced by the polytechnics that put these dreams into concrete achievable goals.
allafrica.com
Fear for the merging of tertiary institutions.

The fears are that polytechnics are established by an act of the National Assembly or by decree. And the decree or act clearly states the scheme of service which is in tandem with polytechnic education globally. However, the act that established universities equally established a distinct scheme of service which equally is in tandem with global trend in university education. So in the polytechnic system,, we feel that if government wants to merge these institutions, in fact we don't see it as a merger, it is strongly an acquisition. Because if you are talking of merger, it will be on the basis of equal relationship. We come together and agree on how to merge, to form a big conglomerate but here, it is a case of simple acquisition. The university is seen as a bigger unit that can easily swallow the polytechnic and our fear is take for instance; you don't need PhD to be a chief lecturer in the polytechnic and the chief lecturer is of the same nomenclature with a professor in the university.

So if we are to be merged or to be subsumed or acquired by this arrangement it will definitely affect the career progression of the lecturers and even the students because the situation may arise that those students who graduated with their OND may not be offered admission to pursue higher degrees in the universities as currently carried out. If you have HND from the polytechnics, they will not allow you to go straight to do your Masters degree without requiring that you do a Post-graduate Diploma (PDG). So these are some of the issues we feel would crop up with this merger. I am also afraid that 75 per cent of the current academic and non academic staff in the polytechnic sector - may go to the labour market.

Merger as a way of removing disparity in polytechnic/university.

But there is a way to do and reduce the casualties to zero level. Allow polytechnics to award higher degrees that is all. You would have removed completely this discrimination between HND and BSc, that is all. Like it is done in South Africa , Egypt , United States of America , even the reform in education in the Great Britain was a gradual process. It was not merger. The polytechnics were allowed on their own to start awarding degrees, not merger, not even acquisition, not even consolidation and it took so many years for them to evolve. So it is not these ad-hoc measures that we are adopting today.

HND-holder  you are now talking. Converting polytechnics into universities is almost wrong as this will kill the technical/technological manpower of the nation. please you people should fight and kick against it. Let polytechnics remain as polytechnics,but should be empowered to run masters and Phd programs so that HND holders like Degree holders can progress.

Poly must go any how!

Hnd-holder:

Poly must go any how!

No, polytechnic should not go, but HND certificate should go.

Any certificate with POLYTECHNIC name will face this problem of non acceptance

What are we talking about here? If poly goes what will happen to the economy technologically? who will be there to develop the country? do you think development has Any thing to do under the Air conditioner, wearing suits and using biros to siphone cash?
Please we need innovative people that are technologically inclind and the only place you can get that is in the polytechnics.
Lets reason alike poly has come to stay since its existence and will always remain. Those who say poly should go i guess your decisions stands in the fact that you are at a zero level technologically.
Have a nice day.

I have sacrificed enough, no relation of mine will ever go to polytechnic unless he can not make the required grade to attend university. Do you see any Governor children in any polytechnic? They are all in private university to give orders to poly graduate later in future. HND leve 14 reporting to Bsc level 9

No appology poly must go

Hnd-holder:

Any certificate with POLYTECHNIC name will face this problem of non acceptance

Are you saying if you hold a BTech or MTech from a polytechnic you will be discriminated??

yes o

Hnd-holder:

yes o

What you are saying now is that the certificate is not the problem but the name of the school, abi?? You mean if only the name polytechnic will be changed to university the problem will be solved?? Are you saying that if universities (former Polytechnics) churn out HND graduates they will not be discriminated?? Let me hear you answers please.

aceseducation will grow weather GOV send their children or not, if you are capable of disallowing your children or younger ones the acess to poly pls do but for a good technological innovation, academic excellence, moral pals etc the poly remains the best and if you really want to speak Engineering in Nigeria pls be on the first flight to the poly. it does not really mean that those in the poly have no good SSCE i am a proof of the fact that alot of us have good SSCE but chose to go to the poly to be practically oriented.
How long do you want to work under someone before you become an MD of your own?
We in the poly setting have been trained to be on our own but because of the hard economy we have this days we just have to work for some time and then go get something for ourselves.
But the reverse is the case with my fellow UNI grad with due respect check NBTE/NABTEC regulation compire it with our fellow UNI grad curriculum and see what you are in the society that you don't know.
Guys this in not a time to regret your HND but i time to implement it in your place of work or your lives and see what you can make. PGD is for sure since we intend to futher but if any good poly runs any masters program in engineering then i will be the first to be there.
emmigrant01@yahoo.co.uk.
Jeffery

Let polytechnic go

This is just a sympathetic speech  parents do not want poly as school fit for their wards they look at you as mis fit with sympathy as if HND holders are not human being. Whenever they want technological things let them send their own children.

Hnd-holder:

Let polytechnic go

This is just a sympathetic speech parents do not want poly as school fit for their wards they look at you as mis fit with sympathy as if HND holders are not human being. Whenever they want technological things let them send their own children.

Until polytechnics are converted into universtities and begin to award Degrees or until the name HND is changed to a better name like (Bsc Degree) that the society likes before they can send their children there.

What is Polytechnic Education in Nigeria
As we all know, the Polytechnic is one of the tripod stands upon which higher education rest in Nigeria – the other two being the University and the College of Education. The Polytechnics in Nigeria had evolved from what used to be Colleges of Technology.
In Nigeria, the different levels of government have adopted education as an instrument, par excellence, for effecting national development. Higher education is one of the items specifically listed in part II of the second schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999. In effect, both the Federal and State Governments have coordinate jurisdiction on the subject matter.
Further to this, Section 5 of the National Policy on education (revised) 1981 States that Higher Education should aim at:
(a) the acquisition, development and inculcation of the proper value-orientation for the survival of the individual and society;
(b) the development of the intellectual capacities of individuals to understand and appreciate their environments;
(c) the acquisition of both physical and intellectual skills which will enable individuals to develop into useful members of the community;
(d) the acquisition of an objective view of the local and external environments.
Furthermore, Section 6 of the said National Policy on Education, listed the Polytechnics as one of the five types of technical education institutions outside the Universities which offer technical education. It further defined technical education as “that aspect of education which leads to the acquisition of practical and applied skills as well as basic scientific knowledge”.,

Dr. Peter Ayodele Fayose, while accepting the Honourary Fellowship of the Polytechnic, Ibadan (Hon. FPI) on Friday 02 December, 2005.

HND holder,
i must confess that you are very impressive and i so much like what you guys are doing (ishmeal and you). Lets continue to say and bear our minds on this topic but one thing i know for sure is, "what will be ,will definitely be".
No one can win the gov in their court so with prayers we will surely over come this issue.
My only advice is this "What is good for the guise is good for the gizzard"
the gov should do what will please the country and itself. we are the minority both we will excel.
Cheers

The National Board for Technical Education was established by Act 9 of January 1977

READ THIS AND ASK GOV WHY THE CHANGES.

The functions of the Board as contained in its enabling Act are as follows:


to advise the Federal Government on, and co-ordinate all aspects of technical and vocational education falling outside the universities and to make recommendations on the national policy necessary for the training of technicians, craftsmen, and other middle-level and skilled manpower;

to determine, after consultation with the National Manpower Board, the Industrial Training Fund and such other bodies as it considers appropriate, the skilled and middle-level manpower needs of the country in the industrial, commercial and other relevant fields for the purpose of planning training facilities and in particular to prepare periodic master-plans for the balances and co-ordinated development of polytechnics and such plans shall include;
i. the general programmes to be pursued by polytechnics in order to maximize the use of available facilities and avoid unnecessary duplication while ensuring that they are adequate to the manpower needs of the country;

ii. recommendations for the establishment and location of new polytechnics as and when considered necessary.


to inquire into and advise the Federal Government on the financial needs, both recurrent and capital, of polytechnics and other technical institutions to enable then meet the objectives of producing the trained manpower needs of the country;

to receive block grants from the Federal Government and allocate them to polytechnics in accordance with such formula as may be laid down by the Federal Executive Council;

to act as the agency for channeling all external aid to polytechnics in Nigeria;
to advise on, and take steps to harmonize entry requirements and duration of courses at technical institutions;

to lay down standards of skill to be attained and to continually review such standards as necessitated by technological and national needs;

to review methods of assessment of students and trainees and to develop a scheme of national certification for technicians, craftsmen, and other skilled personnel in collaboration with ministries and organization having technical training programmes;

to undertake periodic review of the terms and conditions of service of personnel in polytechnics and to make recommendations thereon to the Federal Government;

to collate, analyze and publish information relating to technical and vocational education;

to consider and matter pertaining to technical or technological education as may be referred to it from time to time by the Minister;

to carry out such other activities as are conducive to the discharge of its functions.

In addition to the above, paragraphs 8(1) and 8(2) of Decree 16, 1985 (now Act) Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) states as follows:


The responsibility for the establishment of minimum standards in Polytechnics, Technical Colleges and other technical institutions in the Federation shall be vested in the Minister after consultation with the National Board for Technical Education and thereafter that Board shall have responsibility for the maintenance of such standards.

The Board shall have power to accredit programmes of all institutions mentioned in subsection (1) above for the purpose of award of national certificates and diplomas and other similar awards, and for entry into national and zonal examinations in respect of such institutions.







The Board has made significant progress in the performance of its functions since its inception in 1977. Some of these achievements are as follows:

Establishment of Credible Quality Assurance Mechanism
The Board has established a credible quality assurance mechanism in the Polytechnics and Monotechnics for National Diploma (ND), Higher National Diploma (HND) and Post Higher National Diploma (PHND) and in the Technical Colleges for NTC, NBC, ANTC and ANBC programmes.

Development of Curricula

Over 187 Curricula have been developed by the Board in various fields at various levels ranging from Engineering to Catering and Hotel Management for the past 3 years. 197 programmes was approved after resource inspection for ND, HND and Post-HND.

Also out of 506 programmes visited for accreditation/re-accreditation, 284 programmes passed accreditation/reaccreditation for ND, HND and Post-HND while 114 programmes were accredited out of 405 programmes visited in Technical Colleges.

Advisory Visit for Establishment of Institutions

Within the past three years, over 42 advisory visits were made to Polytechnics, Colleges of Agriculture, Colleges of Health Technology, and technical Colleges nation-wide.

Establishment of Private Technical Institutions

Seven private Polytechnics/Monotechnics were established from year 2000 to 2002. This has increased the total number of Polytechnics in Nigeria to 51; Federal 17, State 27 and Private 7.

Training of Technical and Vocational Educational (TVE) Staff

Under the UNESCO-NIGERIA TVE Project, the Board trained over 1000 staff on Information and Communication Technology (ICT). This training programme is still on-going in all the UNESCO-NIGERIA TVE Project signated centres all over Nigeria.

Office and Staff Accommodation

The Board has completed an ultra-modern secretariat complex at Plot 5B Bida Road, Kaduna. It has also built eight duplex houses, 60 bungalows at Narayi Housing Estate, 8No. one-storey building each made up of 2No. 3 bedroom flats, at Sardauna Crescent, and 3No. 4 bedroom bungalows at Shehu Crescent, Unguwar Rimi for Senior Staff accommodation.

Monitoring of Capital Projects

The twin policy of project-specific funding and quarterly monitoring of capital projects assisted to stem the incidence of abandoned projects on our Polytechnic. The Board undertook monitoring visits to the 17 Federal Polytechnics to monitor capital projects for which grants were released in 2001 financial year.

Academic Plans

These have been produced for each Federal Polytechnic and the new Federal Technical Colleges.

Master Plans

At the macro level, the Board has produced a document titled “The Review and Format of Technical Education in Nigeria” (unpublished) which gives broad guidelines for the development of the various sectors of the technical education system. At the micro level, the Board has laid down guidelines for evolving master plans for Federal Polytechnics. It has assisted new Federal Polytechnics in the production of their master plans and older institutions, updates of their master plans. The Board advises State Polytechnics on relevant guidelines to assist in developing new master plans or for the update of existing master plans.

Physical Development Of Polytechnics And Technical Colleges

The Board has produced space standards for use in the physical planning and development of polytechnic and technical college facilities. These standards are being used in the physical development of Federal Polytechnics and Technical Colleges; and may be useful to state-owned Polytechnics and Technical Colleges that are developing new facilities or undertaking new construction work to update existing facilities in order to make them more responsive to the educational programmes being offered by the institutions.

The Board has evolved a system of capital project monitoring in the Polytechnic System. A document titled “Project Management Handbook” (unpublished) has been produced for the purpose.

List of Equipment

Lists of academic facilities and workshop and laboratory equipment for teaching most courses in the Polytechnics leading to the award of the ND and HND are also available from the Board’s Secretariat.

Research and Technology Adaptation

One of the primary functions of the Polytechnics is to be fully engaged in research and development activities. The Board has done much in this area. Some funds are set aside for research and technology development in the Polytechnics.

Let them do the educational reforms let us see; they think educational sector is the same as the banking sector where merger and acquisition were easily carried out. So what should we call this educational reforms? merger or acquisition?? To me sha i see it as acquisition because the universities will eat up polytechnics and colleges of education and their names and purposes will be lost while that of the university will remain.

Educational deformation

Hnd-holder:

Educational deformation

laughing!!

Have they said anything so far about the reforms??

The mistake nigeria and nigerians are making is the preference given to university education when truely polytechnic education is the type of education that can be used to develop a nation technologically. What have the universities done to move the country technologically since the inception of the 1st university?? The polytechnics are even doing better because despite the meagre funds given to them against the huge funds given to the universities they have been able to carrying out research and make improvements on certain things as well as technology. What do you think polytechnics would have done if they were given the same funds as the universities?? Please polytechnics should be allowed to exist so that we will not have a dearth of middle level technicians and highly skilled technologists in the country. Merging polytechnics with universities is not going to be in the best interest of this nation and our educational policy makers should sit down and think very well on how to improve technical and technological education.

FG to Scrap HND Programmes
By Bukola Olatunji, 01.18.2007
www.thisdayonline.com
The Higher National Diploma (HND) as a programme in the country’s education system would cease to exist in a matter of months, Chairman of the Presidential Technical Committee on Consolidation of Tertiary Institutions, Prof Mahmood Yakubu has said.
Addressing the management, staff and students of the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Lagos, yesterday, Yakubu said, "From the day the report (of the committee) is finally approved and the necessary changes in the law made, in the next few months, there will be no HND as a qprogramme anywhere. It will be abolished and replaced by B. Sc, B.Eng., and B. Tech. as the case may be."
But the National Diploma (ND) programmes will be retained "as a non-degree component of the university to continue to produce the critical middle level manpower that the country needs."
Describing HND as one of the sour points in polytechnic education, because employers of labour and universities refuse to rate it as equivalent to a university degree for the purpose of employment and admission to higher degrees respectively, "The consolidation of these institutions and the conversion of YABATECH and Kaduna Polytechnic into universities will solve the problem permanently."
He however explained that state and private proprietors of polytechnics and colleges of education reserved the right to continue to run their programmes the way they choose.
Although they have examples in the Ogun State-owned Tai Solarin College of Education, Ijagun, Ogun State, now Tai Solarin University of Education and The Polytechnic, Calabar, now Cross River State University of Technology (CRUTECH). Yakubu stressed that the Committee was not at YABATECH to determine whether the college was fit to be a university or not.
That hurdle has been crossed as the Federal Government has approved the upgrading of the college and the Kaduna Polytechnic to universities, while the remaining 17 Federal Polytechnics and 21 Federal Colleges of Education in the country are to be consolidated with their proximate and contiguous universities.

The committee visited the college, he said, to interact with the management, staff and students to be able to make notes and advise government properly on what is on ground and what needs to be done and added to ensure a smooth take-off of the institution.
The Committee appointed on Tuesday, November 7, last year is to submit its report at the end of the month.
Responding, the Rector of YABATECH, Mr. Olubunmi Owoso described the transformation of the two polytechnics into universities as "a master stroke in the reform agenda."
A requested that the first tertiary institution in the country be renamed ‘City University, Yaba’ and not the ‘City University of Lagos’ that was announced when the proposal was first made.

Let all the polytechnic die.

1 National Diploma (ND) programmes will be retained "as a non-degree component of the university
2 to continue to produce the critical middle level manpower that the country needs.

3 The consolidation of these institutions and the conversion of YABATECH and Kaduna Polytechnic into universities will solve the problem permanently.

4 a state and private proprietors of polytechnics and colleges of education reserved the right to continue to run their programmes the way they choose.

4b they have examples in the Ogun State-owned Tai Solarin College of Education, Ijagun, Ogun State, now Tai Solarin University of Education

4c The Polytechnic, Calabar, now Cross River State University of Technology (CRUTECH).


5. Federal Government has approved the upgrading of Yaba and the Kaduna Polytechnic to universities,

6 Remaining 17 Federal Polytechnics and 21 Federal Colleges of Education in the country are to be consolidated with their proximate and contiguous universities.

What will happen to graduates of polytechnics who already have HND certificates??
2ndly, what programs will state and private polytechnics run?? Will they run National Diploma progams alone?? Or will they be allowed to run the Bsc, BA and BTech programmes??

State and private proprietors of polytechnics and colleges of education reserved the right to continue to run their programmes the way they choose.

They have examples in the Ogun State-owned Tai Solarin College of Education, Ijagun, Ogun State, now Tai Solarin University of Education

The Polytechnic, Calabar, now Cross River State University of Technology (CRUTECH).