Rectors and Provosts of polytechnics and other TVET-awarding institutions are set to discuss a proposal to replace the Higher National Diploma programme with a Bachelor of Technology.
According to The PUNCH, this debate, scheduled to hold on Tuesday.
A letter from the Director of Human Resources at the National Board of Technical Education, Lawal Hafiz, has been sent to all Rectors and Provosts nationwide, announcing this pivotal meeting.
The agenda includes renewing the appeal to the Federal Government to approve a bill aimed at eliminating the disparity between Bachelor’s degrees and Higher National Diplomas.
This bill, which seeks to eradicate employment and promotion discrimination against polytechnic graduates compared to their university counterparts, has been a longstanding demand of polytechnic stakeholders.
Sponsored by Senator Ayo Akinyelure, the bill recently passed its third reading in the Senate.
Commenting on the bill, the Chairman of the Joint Committee, Ibrahim Shekarau , All Progressive Congress,Kano Central, said, “The enactment of the bill to abolish and prohibit discrimination between First Degrees and Higher National Diploma for the purpose of employment in Nigeria will no doubt freeholders of HND from stagnation and ensure balanced treatment with their counterparts from other higher tertiary institutions in Nigeria.”
The letter by the NBTE read in part, “I write to invite you to a one-day national dialogue on the future of Higher National Diploma programme in the Nigerian Educational Landscape. The objective of the dialogue is to look at issues surrounding the continued discrimination of the holders of the Higher National Diploma certificates and fashion out ways of addressing the age-long problem.
“It is hoped that the national dialogue would look at the proposal to replace the HND programme with Bachelors of Technology (B.Tech); and or to renew the call on Mr President to assent to the bill passed by the National Assembly for an ‘Act to Abolish and Prohibit Dichotomy and Discrimination between First degree and Higher National Diploma in the same Profession/Field for the Purpose of Employment and for Related Matters’ as a panacea to the problem.”
