The National Polytechnic students Vice President said Polytechnic education has been reduced to vocational studies
The National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) and the Coalition of Concerned HND Holders (CCHH) have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to address the discrimination in BSc and HND certificate differences.
The National Vice President of NAPS, Damola Olugbode while speaking with journalists in Abuja on Friday, March 16, said the difference in BSc and HND certificates has caused several industry crises in both public and private sectors.
Olugbode said, “we have been grossly marginalised and sidelined by the federal government especially the various ministers of education.”
“The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) had at various times voiced out and protested about the treatment of HND graduates in all sectors of the Nigerian labour market, yet nothing has been done.
“Polytechnic education is now being regarded as vocational studies, as witnessed by several professional bodies that have refused to recognised HND, yet accredit the same courses of study at the Polytechnics.
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Buhari's administration planned to resolve BSC/HND differences in 2017
In 2017, President Muhammadu Buhari's administration took a step to resolve the distinction between the two degrees.
According to Punch, the Federal Government had a plan to ensure that there is no difference in the salary at entry points between both degree holders in all the Para-military services.
However, to authenticate the plan, the regularisation of the BSc and HND holders' salaries was announced on July 13, 2017, by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Abubakar Magaji.