Minister of Education, Malam AdamuAdamu, has charged the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and Chairmen, Governing Councils of Polytechnics to comply with the principle of federal character in the appointment of principal officers.
He also announced plans by the ministry to release N15 billion for the revitalisation of facilities in public polytechnics across the country.
Adamu gave the charge at a retreat for Chairmen of Governing Councils and Principal Officers of Federal Polytechnics organised by NBTE in collaboration with the Committee of Federal Polytechnics Rector (COFER).
Represented by the Acting Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, David Gende said “of great importance is the provision in the National Policy on Education under technology education, where not less than 70 per cent of admissions into polytechnics shall be in technology-based courses.”
He enjoined polytechnic administrators to be abreast of current laws, policies, white papers, circulars, gazettes and other relevant documents that will assist them in taking decisions without undue interference in the day-to-day running of the institutions.
Adamu who stressed the need for a strict compliance to policy by council and management of Polytechnics said the ministry would continue to monitor the level of compliance.
Executive Secretary of NBTE, Prof. IdrisBugaje, expressed concern over the present state of polytechnics in the country, saying all hands must be on deck to reposition them.
He said: “Our admissions should be guided by an accurate database for manpower planning as well as skill gaps. The quest to put Higher National Diploma (HND) at par with Bachelors degree (BSc) in the scheme and condition of service of the federation is moving at a snail speed.
“Poor public perception and apathy towards Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), has become like a cultural taboo, while other countries, such as Germany, have 80 per cent of their students going for TVET with only 20 per cent going to universities. In the United Kingdom, master craftsmen earn three times more than a professor. In Nigeria, our eyes are yet to open to TVET.
“Universities are swallowing polytechnics. Polytechnics and universities are parallel, we are not feeders. The College of Education (COE) feeds the university system, if you convert COE to a university, you are upgrading it, but if you convert polytechnic to a university, you are degrading it, and this will not help the economy. We must stop this craving of converting polytechnics to universities.”
Chairman, organising committee, Prof. Emmanuel Fasakin, called on the Federal Government to implement the payment of 15billion revitalization of facilities of public Polytechnics as announced by the minister.