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The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has lauded the House of Representatives for championing a separate commission for polytechnics in the country.
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The lecturers noted that the commission would serve as a regulatory agency only for polytechnics, just like the National Universities Commission (NUC) and National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) for universities and colleges, respectively,
This, they noted, would bring about tremendous progress and development to the polytechnic education sub-sector.
The national publicity secretary of ASUP, Mr Itoro Ekanem, who disclosed this to journalists, said the bill for an act to establish a dedicated commission for polytechnics in the country has already passed the second reading at the lower chambers of the National Assembly.
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He said: “The absence of a separate commission as a regulatory agency to concentrate solely on polytechnics, just like the NUC and NCCE has been observed as one of the factors slowing down the progress of polytechnic education in the country.”
Although the union noted that the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), which supervises polytechnics has been doing its bit, the body said putting other sub-tertiary and vocational training centres under its portfolio hinders it from giving a deserved priority to polytechnics.
According to ASUP, NBTE has up to 600 tertiary institutions and centres under its purview.
The union argued that a separate commission for polytechnics would be in tandem with the four-year ministerial roadmap of the Federal Ministry of Education for the sector, with 2024 as the commencement year.
“Similarly, we want to encourage other stakeholders to support the lawmakers in their quest to pass the bill as the gesture would benefit not only polytechnics, but the country at large.”
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