Re: On the scrapping of degree/HND dichotomy

Albert Einstein, yes the famous scientists, attended Polytechnic – Swiss Federal Polytechnic, precisely (1896-1900). This was part of history that’s always buried whenever he is mentioned. In spite of this background, he attained professorship without doing PGD or any other degree conversion. It is true that universities and polytechnics were established for different purposes but […]

Albert Einstein, yes the famous scientists, attended Polytechnic – Swiss Federal Polytechnic, precisely (1896-1900). This was part of history that’s always buried whenever he is mentioned. In spite of this background, he attained professorship without doing PGD or any other degree conversion.
It is true that universities and polytechnics were established for different purposes but it will be really untrue to say one is established to be subservient to other in practice.
Removing dichotomy on career wise progression as being mulled over by Nigerian government may end up as diversion from main issue as this may only address a facet of the problems. The editorial of Daily Trust of Friday August 12, displayed its ignorance and academic bigotry by asserting that university graduates spent 4-5 years before graduating while HND graduates spent 2 years only – where did you put ND which is prerequisite for HND please? Is it not mandatory that every polytechnic graduate undergone one year Industrial Training (IT)? Can one proceed with HND without tendering evidence of completion of Industrial Training? In fact, the minimum years for any Polytechnic graduate are five (5) years – yes minimum.
Now on the issues that must be addressed nationally besides career progression, the polytechnic graduates should be given a complete system that will continuously work for them like:
One, making one year IT to become optional – yes optional because it is just a means of creating redundancy in the system. For instance, CGPA of ND is never added to HND; Two, allowing Polytechnic graduates to do Masters and PhD based on their academic orientation without resorting to unwanted PGD and other sorts of unwarranted conversional programs; Three, allowing Polytechnic graduates to be training themselves instead of having some academic bigots from other system.
Is it not contradictory to common sense to make university oriented graduate to train polytechnic undergraduates? Definitely, university trained graduate was basically prepared and orientated with theories and as such should be restricted to the universities. Obviously, this is part of reasons the graduate from polytechnics are becoming more unqualified recently as against the past when they were trained by their ilk. This is an academic conspiracy cooked to continuously undermine polytechnics.
Until the above salient issues among others are resolved, status quo shall remain. Let the Federal Government address this issue holistically and save polytechnic graduates of this country once and for all.
Sunmola Semiu, Lagos State