The Academic Staff Union of Polytechniçs (ASUP) has lauded the National Assembly, particularly the House of Representatives for its commitment to ensure a separate commission is established for polytechnic education in the country.
The polytechnic lecturers strongly believe that such a separate commission which would serve as a regulatory agency only for polytechnics just like the National Universities Commission (NUC) for universities and the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) for Colleges of Education would bring about tremendous progress and development to polytechnic education in the country.
The lecturers gave this assertion in a statement made available to Tribune Online by the National Publicity Secretary of ASUP, Mr Itoro Ekanem.
The commendation is sequel to the passage of the second reading of the separate commission bill by the lower chamber last Wednesday.
According to ASUP, our union has been reliably informed that the Federal House of Representatives has passed the second reading of the bill for an act to establish a dedicated commission for Polytechnics in Nigeria.
“Indeed, the House of Reps commitment to this bill which is sponsored by Hon. Idu Igariwey from Ebonyi State, is commendable to us.
“This is because the absence of a separate commission as a regulatory agency to concentrate solely on polytechnic education just like NUC and NCCE concentrate on universities and colleges of education respectively, has been observed for several years as one of the factors slowing down progress in polytechnic education in the country.”
ASUP argued that it is not that the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) under which polytechnic education has been all along has not been doing its bit but putting lots of other sub-tertiary and vocational training centres under its portfolio hinders it from giving a deserved priority and attention to polytechnics.
According to ASUP, NBTE has up to 600 different types of tertiary schools under its purview.
ASUP explained that a separate commission for polytechnics would be in tandem with the four-year ministerial roadmap plans of the Federal Ministry of Education for the education sector, with 2024 as a commencement year.
It added, “That is why we also want the Federal Ministry of Education to step up the execution of other defining aspects of the ministerial roadmap for the sector including the degree awarding status for polytechnics so as to further strengthen the subsector.
“Similarly, we want to encourage other stakeholders in the education sector to rally in support of the National Assembly as they prepare for the remaining stages of the passage of the bill as the effort will benefit not only the polytechnic education but the economy at large.“
