On NBTE directive
By
Nasiru Suleiman
Permit me a space in your widely circulated
newspaper to air my view about the recent federal government directive
through NBTE on the 70:30 ratio in favour of science/technology students
that should be admitted in all polytechnics. it is a welcome
development, the reason why polytechnics were set up in the country is
to meet the technological manpower need of the country.
It is a good development geared towards
repositioning the polytechnics to its initial purpose, and this will
help the country to beef up the acute shortage of technological
manpower, which is inadequate in supply that makes the country
over-dependent on foreign expatriate for most of its technological
needs.
Take for instance in the oil sector, which is the
main stay of the economy you find out that most of the oil workers are
expatriate, even the welders and sometimes cleaners, which is not
suppose to be. You find out in some polytechnics the ratio of student
graduating is 90:10 in favour of humanitarian students, little wonder
our streets are full of graduates who can hardly defend their
certificates. some of the polytechnics are forty to thirty years of
establishment yet their impact is not felt, because there is deviation
in purpose and direction and things are not done in accordance with the
laiddown rule. You find out that most class were overpopulated, a class
that suppose to accommodate 40 students, will be allotted for 100
students, this need to be corrected. one must thumb up for NBTE for
enforcing this on all the polytechnics.
Take Kaduna polytechnics for example that admitted
about ten to fifteen thousand candidates last session, only admitted
lest than 3,000 candidates this session, available statistics shows that
the number of candidates who have been offered admission in this year
provisional admission is not up to what the institution normally admit
into only College of Business and Management studies (CBMS). In the same
vein federal polytechnic Idah in Kogi State admitted less than 80
candidates to HND in the department of Business administration and
management studies, this shows compliance to the federal government
directive, unlike in the past where some polytechnic exceeds their
carrying capacity.
According to NBTE, about 32 polytechnics in the
country have extremely exceeded their carrying capacity and have failed
to comply to the 70:30 ratio in favour of science and technology
students have been barred from admitting candidates into business and
art programme. Only 22 polytechnics in the country escape the bar to
admits candidates into all programmes subject to approved carrying
capacity, that is maximum of two class streams and maximum of 40
students in each class of art based programmes and 30 students in each
class of science/technology based programme.
NBTE must ensure strict compliance to this carrying
capacity, if not most of the polytechnics will want to go back to their
outrageous way of enrolment with disregard to board guidelines.
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