Mixed reactions greet a bill currently before the upper legislative chamber to abolish the discrimination between polytechnic and university graduates, writes GBENGA ADENIJI
The battle to halt the dichotomy between holders of the Higher National Diploma and Bachelor’s degree certificates has been on for long.
During its last strike, one of the key demands of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics was the abolition of the dichotomy.
Many stakeholders in the polytechnic system, their counterparts in universities including parents and polytechnic students alike had called for an end to the disparity. One of such was the Nigerian Association of Technologists in Engineering who last year called on the Federal Government to tackle the noticeable dichotomy between public service employees with HND and colleagues with university degrees.
The association described the dichotomy as worrisome, saying it was high time the government implemented the decisions and recommendations made by stakeholders on the matter.
The National President, NATE, Dr. Leo Okereke, stressed that a Federal Executive Council decision in 2007 specified that HND certificates would remain legal in Nigeria with holders enjoying recognition equivalent to first degree holders without discriminatory remunerations and limit to advancement in the work place.
Also, the Federal Government in July this year promised to look into the issue of disparity between HND and university degrees by implementing the recommendations of the technical committee on the issue set up in April.
The pledge was made by the then supervising Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, while receiving the report of the technical committee on the removal of ceiling on career progression of HND holders and dichotomy between HND and university degrees.
The News Agency of Nigeria reported that Wike said, “Today’s event represents a significant milestone in the effort of government to respond to the public outcry on the disparity between holders of the Higher National Diploma and university degree qualifications, which had persisted from colonial rule. The report will be accordingly forwarded to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation for immediate action. It will not be like other reports; one thing we should know is that when government comes up with a position paper, that will be the final decision.”
However, a fresh outcry against the dichotomy emerged last month when a bill for an Act to abolish and prohibit the dichotomy and discrimination between the two categories of graduates scaled the second reading on the floor of the Senate.
The bill was sponsored by the member representing Ondo Central Senatorial District, Ayo Akinyelure.
The lawmaker noted that the aftermath of continuing injustices, disparity and discriminations meted out to products of polytechnics in Nigeria was threatening to derail the nation’s core policy thrust of evolving a technological and scientifically-based and self-reliant society in the nearest future.
Akinyelure stated, “Thousands of would-be polytechnic and technology students are contemplating or have decided to opt for university education because of perceived and real discrimination against HND graduates. If this contemplation occurs, there is bound to be a vacuum created in our labour market in this regard and dire consequences are bound to follow this trend. Over the years, several entreaties have been put forth to the Federal Civil Service authorities to put a stop to certain glaring wage disparities and discrimination against the HND holders, and all these have been to no avail.”
A holder of HND certificate, Mr. Tunde Ogunbiyi, who has been working for some years, however said the seeking to end the disparity via legislation was not the ultimate.
He added that being a polytechnic graduate was a thing of the mind which could continue to affect an individual even after bridging the gap between a university and polytechnic graduate.
Ogunbiyi who works in a medical diagnostic centre said he could not recall ever being discriminated against. He said, ‘‘I do not face any discrimination and I think it is a thing of the mind. For me, I see myself as a normal graduate.’’
Also, Sheriff Akinkugbe, who works with one of the commercial banks in Lagos, lauded the move.
He stated that his polytechnic certificate initially hampered him in many ways especially in the areas of promotions and job handling.
Akinkugbe said, ‘‘My boss knows that I am competent on the job I do. I studied mechanical engineering in one of the federal polytechnics in the country. But my HND certificate got in the way when I started working in a bank. I was nearly depressed and had to assist myself by earning some professional certificates. Today, I am better off but one could be frustrated if one is unable to remain focused.’’
He further said some of his friends who hold similar certificates quit their jobs to seek university education when they could no longer cope with the dichotomy.
A software engineer with an IT firm in Ikeja, Lagos, Ola Smith, said the disparity could be demeaning if the university graduate was not better than one. He said he had such experience when he was working in a system solution company on Lagos Island.
‘‘It was when I was waiting at home without securing admission that I decided to attend a polytechnic. My first place of work was not encouraging because a university graduate was promoted above me even when it was clear that I knew the job better. There was another experience when after passing all the required tests, I was told that the company I applied to does not employ polytechnic graduates. I was so embarrassed,” Smith added.
A civil engineer and university graduate, Mr. Robert Solomon, was of the view that there should be no reason for dichotomy between polytechnic and university graduates.
Identifying knowledge and expertise as the core of a thorough-bred graduate, Solomon stated that every graduate should seek to add value to the society.
A lecturer in Al-Hikmah University, Igbaja campus, Kwara State, Mr. Rasaq Ajadi, however, commended moves to end the disparity, urging the Federal Government to sanction any erring employer whenever the bill becomes law.
According to him, the dichotomy must stop to make polytechnic graduates contribute meaningfully to nation building.
Besides, a lecturer in the Department of Psychology, University of Lagos, Dr. Oni Fagboungbe, said the decision was long-overdue. He added that his 15 years of lecturing in a polytechnic had shown him that university graduates were not superior.
He stated, ‘‘The university only exists on past glory. University graduates are not better than polytechnic graduates. I lectured in a polytechnic for 15 years. I have also put in same number of years as a lecturer in a university. The discrimination is unnecessary. It is causing a lot of havoc to our educational system.’’
Fagboungbe also said the focus of polytechnic was to produce middle level manpower to advance the country. He added, ‘‘It is worrisome now to see our polytechnics producing graduates in Business Administration and other courses when they are supposed to churn out graduates in courses such as Civil and Mechanical Engineering and others.’’
He lamented that many students in polytechnics were only there to while away time pending when they secure university admission.
On his part, a lecturer in the Department of English, Obafemi Awolowo University, Mr. Chijioke Uwasomba, described the plan of the upper legislative chamber as needless.
He noted that the country’s emphasis on certification was responsible for the disparity between the two levels of graduates.
‘‘The problem with Nigeria’s education is certification. The people who conceived the idea of polytechnics wanted it to produce middle level manpower. But politics got in the way and it was being placed side-by-side with university education. It is wrong. The polytechnic has a mission; it has an agenda. The Federal Government should reposition polytechnics so that they can fulfill their academic goals. The curriculum of the university is different from that of the polytechnic,’’ the lecturer said.
Uwasomba noted that polytechnics lost their focus when their products and lecturers started comparing themselves with those in the university.
Also, the Executive Secretary, Never Again Group, Ahmed Jaji, said the bill was in order, hoping it would end the division between university and polytechnic graduates in the country.
He said having attended a technical school, college of technology and a university; he discovered that the only difference was in the area of curriculum.
Source: http://www.punchng.com
