HND/degree dichotomy: Parents, students commend FG

 

Some Nigerians on Monday commended the Federal Government for setting up a committee to resolve the Higher National Diploma and degree holders’ dichotomy.

The Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, last Thursday at a retreat for chairmen of Governing Councils of Federal Polytechnics and Federal Colleges of Education in Kaduna, announced the establishment of the committee.

Wike added that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Pius Anyim, was heading the it.

Reacting to the development, some parents and polytechnic students told the News Agency of Nigeria that the steps taken by the government to resolve the disparity were commendable.

A parent, Mr. Akin Shongule, said the harmonisation was long overdue.

Shongule said from the beginning, the training of HND graduates was to complement the degree holders in technical studies.

He said, “That is the more reason why the Federal Government should remove the dichotomy and recognise both the B.Sc and the HND holders as the same.

“They should be accorded the same recognition and it will go a long way in bringing peace and confidence to the system.

“More so, you will find out that people no longer want to go to polytechnics because of these differences.”

He lauded the government’s commitment to permanently resolving the differences between the two certificates.

Another parent, Mr. John Bassey, said the establishment of the committee was a right step in the right direction.

Bassey recalled that the former Head of Service of the Federation, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, was among other officers who had set up similar committees to address the disparity.

He said, “But the reports on the outcome of the committees were never made known to Nigerians.

“We hope that since this committee will be headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and with the Supervising Minister of Education involved, there will be hope for students and other Nigerians with polytechnic certificates.”

He urged the committee members to be knowledgeable on the issues involved, saying Nigerians hoped that they would do a thorough work on the assignment.

culled form Punch