The Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP) has called on the federal government to address the long-standing issue of dichotomy and segregation between holders of Higher National Diploma (HND) and Bachelor of Science (BSc) qualifications.
Mr. Phillips Ogunsipe, the National President of SSANIP, made this appeal during the association’s congress held at the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) branch in Lagos on Tuesday, News About Nigeria gathered.
Ogunsipe emphasized that the polytechnic sector at the national level has been grappling with the problem of dichotomy, which he described as a discriminatory practice and a disservice to the country.
He pointed out that despite the passage of a bill by the 9th National Assembly, which sought to abolish the dichotomy between HND and BSc holders, the previous administration did not sign it into law.
Ogunsipe highlighted that the basic entrance requirements for both the West African Examination Council (WAEC), which requires five credits, and the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) are the same for both HND and BSc programs.
“The quality of lectures we have in the polytechnic is not less nor inferior to what is obtained in the universities, hence the need for the bill to be signed into law,” he stated.
He further explained that Nigerian parents, irrespective of the program or course, often prefer to have their children pursue a university education due to the societal recognition accorded to a BSc degree in the country.
“Coming from this background and considering these procedures, we have not seen any need why the HND entry point will get lower and their terminal point will still be lower.
“We are concerned about the bill because Nigeria, like other developing nations, will only move, only if polytechnic education is given the recognition it deserves,” he added.
Ogunsipe expressed concern about the bill, emphasizing that for Nigeria, like other developing nations, to progress, polytechnic education must be given the recognition it deserves.
Additionally, the SSANIP president requested the renewal of the agreement signed in 2010 between the ten staff unions, including the NASU, university lecturers, senior staff in universities, colleges of education, polytechnics, and the government.
He identified the agreement, which is renewable every three years, as a crucial step toward ending industrial actions within the education sector.
