₦airaland Forum

Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Kaduna, Dr. Masa’udu Adamu Kazaure said that the dichotomy between the polytechnic and university graduates has not been removed.
“At the moment the situation is still the way it was. The dichotomy is there, but we are approaching it through various angles. The Federal Government during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s tenure approved the removal of the dichotomy but the National Council of establishment is yet to look at it,” he said.

zebra: How far with the bill to end the discrimination by some house of rep members?

It is not a legislators issue but that of policy
The dichotomy between polytechnic graduates and their university counterparts is a very old one, but the question on the lips of many is: when will it all end? Recently, the Minister of Education told journalists that no formal document has been presented by Federal Government to bring the Higher National Diploma and degree qualifications at par, despite public outcry against the existing dichotomy between the two holders for several years.
The venue and the time of the minister’s disclosure were instructive because it was during a meeting with members of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) in Abuja. He informed that at several forums where the issue was verbally raised by the Federal Ministry of Education, the feedback was that it was a decision taken by the National Council on Establishments (NCE).
NCE, is a body of all Heads of Service of the Federation, would have to sit and rectify the decision but a memo was yet to be formally presented to the council. “The best thing is to initiate a memo that can be represented before the national council; and I believe that by the time a case can be made I don’t see why there should be dichotomy,” said the minister, adding that she did not support the discrimination.
In essence, what the minister said has reopened the debate about the old dichotomy which sees polytechnic graduates not rising beyond certain level in the civil service and other government agencies as well as private institutions.

valdprof: poly grads are like robot machines , we are trained to control them

you have commited hate crime AGAINST HND HOLDERS,
Hate crimes, is a violent act against people or organization because of the group to which they belong or identify with these were tragic part of our history.
This kind of attack takes place on two levels, not only is it an attack on one's physical self, but it is an attack on one's very identity in this case HND certificate.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? OPTIONS FOR NIGERIAN POLYTECHNICS Polytechnics around the world have been evolving while staying focused on their mission. One key evolutionary development is in nomenclature. Change of name of the institutions awarding degree level qualifications, such as the HND from Polytechnic to University, and also a change in the title of the qualifications obtained from HND/ Diploma to Degree. These changes accommodate the esteem needs of graduates of polytechnics and their teachers and makes for the recognition and ready comparison of the qualifications in line with the general expectations from the traditional tertiary education system popularized by the university. The question may be asked is there a need for these changes in nomenclature in Nigeria? We have a title conscious but performance deficient society that has made aggressive efforts to downgrade the polytechnics in Nigeria to sub-degree status and in the process frustrated many of the nation’s gifted youth. Were the story different, I personally think that HND holders from my generation are very proud of what they have achieved and would retain the name, preserve the heritage of the polytechnic system, and encourage their own children to follow the same path to excellence. But no more; not in the circumstances that we have today. No one would gladly send his own children to a polytechnic, except as a stopgap measure. And that is a real shame and a tragedy for Nigeria. One may ask what is the offence of the polytechnics? None really. Just the result of envy by people who are not sure of themselves, and feel safer with people who are like themselves. People don’t like you when you are confident! It is the psychology of insecurity and scarcity, not of abundance. But abundance is the result of purposeful and intelligent labour, not happenstance or manipulation.
For these reasons, let the polytechnics take on new nomenclature that leaves no one in doubt that system and its graduates are equal to the universities’ and any other of equal standing. Valuable time and lives must not be wasted on nomenclature and status issues again. Let people compete on the basis of capability, and performance, not on unfair advantage. ‘Let a hundred flowers bloom, let a hundred ideas contend’. Water will always find its level. Let polytechnics retain and deepen their National Diploma ND programmes and convert their HND programmes to degree, but retain the essential polytechnic character by deepening the practical content whilst enhancing the grasp of fundamentals.

valdprof: poly grads are like robot machines , we are trained to control them

We are convinced that the only intent of the Government institutionalized discrimination is the elimination of serious competitors in the deliberately narrowed field of participation created by the lack of industrial and cultural expansion in Nigeria. When next you see anyone brandishing their paper qualifications but not their performance track record, take note that you are seeing an ignorant person covering up the fact with the futile arrogance of paper. He/she is a paper tiger. A tiger does not boast of its ‘tigritude’ [paper/theoretical ability to maul], it will actually tear up somebody, and the case is settled! Tell your paper tiger to SHOW US what he/she has done with the paper degree. It is all part of the culture of waste prevalent in the underdeveloped mind.
We must redeem the day. The Indians (and now)- the Chinese too are already here! Let's stop boasting and let's start doing, and our work will speak for us. The HND/BSc unending discrimination and ensuing debate are one major reason besides "corruption" why Nigeria has failed to industrialize, because those who know are often sidelined and those who don't know get moved into positions of decision making, where they wield power -unfortunately with little real life experience on which to ground their decisions, and so they fail! If you ask me, telling a lie is the root of all corruption. Telling a deliberate lie [when we say a man is "not qualified or not competent" when in fact he is!] - because of the inordinate ambition to gain an upper hand over a good competitor- is corruption. All corrupt acts necessarily begin with a deliberate lie.
That lie sowed the seeds of professional corruption in Nigeria and gave birth to many more lies to cover up the consequences for 35 years.
(Abimbola Daniyan 2008)

The traditional hierarchy inherited from the British did not come about as a result of some compelling rational technical/ functional necessity, or logical development. It was ultimately a continuation of the British class wars -the contest for economic and social space, the result of a class mindset and a child of the politics and psychology of class domination (Daniyan 2008)

Polytechnic education in Nigeria has had a long and windy history of struggles in the face of uncertainties brought on by cloak-and-dagger style policy making. An admixture of inadequate knowledge, phobia and outright insincerity on the part of the policy makers characterizes the approach to society’s most vital institution of self-renewal. A habit of running with the hare (as friends) in the daytime, and hunting with the hounds (enemies) at night.
This is the conclusion from the admission and correction of the wrong done against polytechnic graduates by the Civil Service of the Federation in the Government White Paper in 2006, that removed the career ceiling placed on HND holders after three decades of denial of the truth and the grave consequences it has brought. Orosanye went ahead then by refusing the implementation of the white paper.

What is a Polytechnic?
Poly (many); Technique (method, system, practice, procedure, performance, skill).
A polytechnic, or polytechnic institute is actually a university by another name- a technological university.
The world’s first polytechnic, the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1824) in Troy, New York, has focused precisely on this mission and this has enabled it to contribute significantly to America’s technological development. Polytechnics from their earliest progenitor, the Rensselaer Polytechnic, have aimed to turn out mostly technology, business, management and entrepreneurial graduates. Polytechnics use essentially a hands-on approach to learning, and focus on solving society’s pressing socio-economic-environmental challenges and exploring industrial and commercial opportunities. Another polytechnic worth mentioning in this regard is the Kiev Polytechnic Institute, the Ukraine (also known as Kiev National Technical University). This polytechnic was virtually responsible, through the pioneering efforts of its students and staff for launching the Old Soviet Union into space, by developing experimental gliders, aircraft engines, helicopters, planes, turbine and rocket technology, and aeronautics. In the process, it helped to make the Soviet Union and Russia dominant players in the space technology, a vital and profitable leverage that country still retains today. The name Dmitry Mendeleyev (inventor of the Periodic Table) is well known to all students of Chemistry, just as Igor Sikorsky is well known for the development of the helicopter; Sergei Korolev designer of Jet Engines. All of these high achievers came out of the Kiev Polytechnic.
Across the globe polytechnics have been invaluable in the development of the modern industrial economy. Polytechnic educational pedagogy emphasizes the training of the mind and the hands, and coordinated use of both in the teaching and learning process.

In Nigeria, we have erroneously set up an educational system with a self-contradictory philosophy pedagogy but this does not in itself make the path Nigeria will toe to become developed any different. On the one hand, it declares lofty ideals about creating a dynamic and developed economy, equal citizenship, etc whilst at the same time it places huddles in the way of a size able segment of its citizenry- those who choose to follow the technical education route to transforming the country. It indoctrinates one segment of the education system into believing that idle theorizing will lead to national development, and promotes this thinking to the zenith as a national policy. This is a great disservice that does not stand up to common sense.
what a person knows if one does nothing with that knowledge; what counts in the final analysis is what we do with what we know. This ability to take action is what separates men from the animal world. Education has one often unstated and under-emphasized purpose: effective action/usable results (Daniyan 2008).

Hold it all. The problem of YABA BOYS (HND) holder can be traced to Ozoro (1966) Ade-Ajayi can feed us with this detail. Mandela fought for the blacks in South Africa. The technologists of Nigeria today has won the battle Most degree holders were once in the polytechnics and Most polytechnic Associations are full of Degree holders. The Population of those with HND has dropped significantly and government may only be wasting money on Technical schools. These schools are no longer in place. Available ones can be addressed as GCE centers. Tokunbo cars and china products has made it impossible to talk about the need for Polytechnics. A lot of decree holders are OKADA riders while some are learning one trade or the other. I do not think we need the HND any-longer.

Discrimination continued

More graduates less job. Time to boil certificates as food

English is not our language. I do not know why we are paying too much attention to other peoples language.

They want you to go to college of education or poly

Adverts? Why

I am above 50 years. I have spent all my life fighting this dichotomy. I have obtained anytype of degree both in Nigeria and oversea. Nothing so special about university degree other than plot to kill technology.
https://www.nairaland.com/30476/end-polytechnic-nigeria/2
They did just that.
Nigerian do not want polytechnic that is my submission.

[i][/i]Flash back

Re: The End Of Polytechnic In Nigeria by ishmael(m): 11:30am On Jan 22, 2007

Hnd-holder:

All with retroactive effect. E.g All HND graduate of Calabar polytechnics are now rated as Graduates and all promoted to 15 and 16 Level.

They run as they like, poly stops at ND level officially with FG


Na wa oo!! So bad. So polytechnics have been taken back to the days of Diploma only; that is back to 1960's and early 70's. Let FG scrap polytechnics as a whole so dat nobody will go and waste his/her time there reading for one yeye Diploma.

@ishmael

Re: The End Of Polytechnic In Nigeria by Hnd-holder(m): 2:16pm On Jan 22, 2007

The Diploma now is refered to as NON_ Degree component of University. FG has no poytechnic again.

Re: The End Of Polytechnic In Nigeria by ishmael(m): 2:52pm On Jan 22, 2007

So States can still have polytechnics?? States can still run ND & HND programs , is that what it means?? Rubbish!! What becomes of NBTE??

@ishmael

Scrap the polytechnic system if they can not fund it.

It is time to close the Polytechnics which the Govt treat like secondary schools

Government White Paper on the Report of a 17 member Presidential Committee on the Consolidation of Emoluments in the Public Service dated December 2006 .
The White Paper
Chapter 6 of the White Paper tagged, 'Recruitment Framework' revealed in Section 6.2
Findings
Entrants into the Public Service with HND do not have the opportunity to reach the highest grade even when they are found competent.
Recommendation
It is desirable for the purpose s of relativity that entrants into the Public Service where such Organization, Agencies, or Institutions operate HAPPS, HATISS must have the full opportunity to reach the highest grade if they are found competent
( Has competence any other definition in Nigeria than possession of Paper Qualification?).
Government Views and Comments.
Government accepts this recommendations and directs further that
(i). The undue dichotomy and ceiling on salary Grade Level/Rank attainable by Higher National Diploma holders should be removed.

These had always been the alibi being raised by the officials of the Head of Service, Federal Civil Service Commission and Some Federal Ministries for disallowing the HND holders from being registered or interviewed for promotion to GL 15.

Medium Term.
Note that the 'medium term' had seen some civil servants on GL 01-05 disengaged from service since 2007 whereas necessary actions had not been taken on the removal of the dichotomy and ceiling on salary Grade Level / Rank attainable by the holders of the Higher National Diploma or Technical Cadre Civil Servants.
The same White Paper, Chapter 6Sub-Section 6.2 covered the issue in question.

The recommendations, acceptance and approval of the contents of the White Paper of December 2006 were all the handworks of the same people
This meeting was held on Wednesday,27th September,2006,
the Federal Executive Council, considered and approved the draft White.


Is there any rational in denying HND Holders with an additional Post Graduate Diploma (PGD/PGDE) in securing Conversion to Officer's Cadre in the Civil Service?
It is a fact that both HND and Bachelor's Degree Holders (even with first class or third class ) with PGD are both acceptable for Master's Degree Programmes in Nigerian and Overseas Universities

The HND holders/ Technical cadre civil servants deserve to be promoted. The government should prove its sincerity for drafting the White Paper of December 2006 without any further delay

Thank u my brother Sir. It is time to talk oooo

Higher National Diploma (HND) is obtained from Polytechnic schools, while Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) is obtained from Universities.
Polytechnic students in Nigeria have suffered due to unconstitutional dichotomy created by some disgruntled occultists in Nigeria for their own selfish interest. This act has gradually killed Nigeria technical education and caused this country more harm than good.Take a look at strugles of 1.7million Nigeria for less than 200,000 spaces in Nigeria university.
Some of these Discrepancies are as follows:
a) Inequality in salary Grade Level (HND:GL 07 & BSc:GL 08).
b) Security personnel; Bsc (Commissioned), HND (Non-commissioned)
c) Promotion; HND (maximum of GL 12), while BSc (Unlimited).
d) Banking/Financial institutions treat HND holders like slaves.
e) BSc holders employed as Admin staff, while HND holders are kept as cheap staff.
Some of the dangers imposed on organisations and this country at large are:
a) Unemployment for HND holders.
b) Nonchalant attitude in place of work.
c) Hiding of acquired/inherent ideas that could move Organisations and Nigeria higher.
d) Hatred among colleagues or comrades
e) Candidates now rush and lobby for University admission, thereby killing Nigerian’s technical education which polytechnic mainly offer.
If these could not be stopped, government should scrap Polytechnic education in Nigeria to avoid further frustration of visionary/brilliant Nigeria HND graduates.

please help check result
35357151IE

Point Blank

The controversy between HND graduates and university graduate was unnecessary. The quality of HND graduates is as good as that of the university graduates, Nigeria was getting it wrong because everybody who passed through OND wants to acquire HND education.
The British Government, scrapped HND education years back, because the purpose was defeated.
In 1977, there was an attempt by the Federal Government of Nigeria to scrap HND. The intention then was to create a pool of technicians and separate the technicians from the engineers. The mistake government made then was to implement it hurriedly, and then to replace HND with a lower certificate called the National Technical Certificate (NTC).
1980-82 witnesses the NND programme which was equally rejected for the same reason.
Students resisted it because they applied for HND programme and not NTCor NND, which was believed to be of lower status about 35 years ago. The government idea then was good but the approach was wrong.
Nigerians need clear court technological engineers that could read manuals, build plans, engineering layouts, as the case may be.
In Nigeria today, the HND system has collapsed because we have a lot of engineers who are job seekers rather than being job creators.
"Government must have seen the mismanagement we are currently into, hence the need for a more redefined educational sector that would address the issue of technology education in the country
what Nigeria needs is skill acquisition and development of human capacity that would drive the economy. The idea to restrict training of technicians to OND level and allow those who want to further to go to the university and graduate with a Bachelor of Technology, is a welcome development.
Government should at this level, encourage the private sector to sponsor private schools that would graduate more technicians than engineers.

Nobody seems to see the future. 1.7M Nigerian applied for University Education. FGN can assure us of only 520,000.
1.2m left would never want to go to POLY because of Discriminations. People like us are never jobless because we can use our hand and brain. Up Polites!
Today we thank God for going to poly. With HND I obtained all other certificates

Nigeria want Degree cetificate Abi!

I had my PhD and two masters in Nigeria. So many Professors did the same. So many rectors had their masters after Nigerian HND from Uk/USA

orosanye's legecy

yes and also in nigeria

you are not forced to attend polytechnic

NATE decries discrimination against HND holders PUNCH APRIL 24, 2013 BY OKECHUKWU NNODIM, ABUJA
The Nigerian Association of Technologists in Engineering has urged the Federal Government to address the existing dichotomy between public service employees who graduated with Higher National Diploma and their counterparts with university degree certificates.
The disparity, according to the association, is becoming very worrisome, adding that it was high time the government implemented the decisions and recommendations made by stakeholders on the issue.
The National President, NATE, Dr. Leo Okereke, argued that a Federal Executive Council decision in 2007 had stated that HND certificates would remain legal in Nigeria and holders of such certificates would continue to be recognised as equivalent to first degree holders without discriminatory remunerations and limit to progression in the work place.
Presenting a document to our correspondent, Okereke said, “This is a document from the Ministry of Education dated November 24, 2006 and titled: ‘Removal of ceiling on the career progression of HND holders from polytechnics.’ It was signed by Dr. Jamila Shu’ara for the Minister of Education.
“The document has it that in spite of the above, the products of the polytechnic system have continued to suffer various forms of discrimination.”
Some of the discriminations as contained in the document, according to Okere, include the placement of grade level 14 ceiling on the career progression of HND holders in the public service; recruitment criteria and policies, which do not consider HND holders for employment, even when they acquire M.Sc. and PhD degrees; and non-appointment of HND holders to head departments, divisions and units as long as there was a degree holder regardless of the grade level and proficiency.
Others, he said, were non-registration of HND holders as professionals by some professional bodies and their non-consideration for scholarship awards by national establishments and some international bodies such as the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, The Commonwealth, British Council, the World Bank, etc.
Reacting to a recent statement credited to the Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufai,t he NATE president said the association was pained by such a comment.
Okere said, “We want to react to the statement made by the Minister of Education as published on Tuesday, April 9, 2013. According to the report, the minister said that despite public outcry against the existing dichotomy between HND and degree holders for several years, no formal document has been presented to the Federal Government to make both qualifications at par.
“We do not want to join issues with the minister. But we just want to tell the minister that she may not have been adequately briefed on this topic.
“We have in our possession so many documents, including the Federal Executive Council decision, the Federal Government white paper and the Council on Establishment memo on this matter.
“It will interest you to know that even the Ministry of Education summoned a stakeholders’ forum to deliberate on this matter. And the Council on Establishment was empowered to go to a meeting in Akwa Ibom State in 2010 to issue the circular.”
He further stated that the Federal Government’s white paper on the matter as released in December 2006 directed that the undue dichotomy and ceiling on the salary grade/rank attainable by HND holders should be removed

What is the meaning Alonzo?

Is it the tittle that matters? Mr. Stephen Oronsaye, the former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, sparked off this debate over the over-flogged superiority battle between holders of the Higher National Diploma (HND) and their Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science counterparts as the FGN produced doc to end it.

Mr. Oronsaye, at a forum, frankly declared that HND was not equivalent to a university degree because "it is not the same curriculum". To further drive home his point, the then Head of Civil Service said, "There is a body, the National Council on Establishments, where this thing was tabled, and unanimously, all of them said HND cannot be equivalent to a university degree, and that is the highest body to take this decision."
The superiority battle between the HND holders and their university degree colleagues is as contentious as the rivalry between two wives marrying to one husband.
Same orosanye had no tittle but resently mudered NECO and JAMB

We are going to challenge this nonsense