HND OR B.S.C DISCRIMINATION IN NIGERIA
Each time I meet those University graduates who discriminate the HND,
I'm always surprised all because I don't know why they feel threatened.
What they stand to loose or gain from degrading the HND.
If you
examine this whole issue, you will realise its partly due to failure on
the part of government as regards their policies and on the other hand
misplaced priority on the part of the University system
regulators/administrators/graduates.
We all know our University
system lack innovations, presently the percentage of implementable
research from our Universities is close to zero. The so called scientist
and engineers can't design or create new things, an indication that the
system is fast failing. The polytechnic on the other hand who produce
technical graduate though not well equipped to the optimum level in
terms of practicals and equally underfunded still produce more relevant
product who are to some extent more technically inclined. We all know
the importance of technical education in a growing economy like ours.
Discriminate the Polytechnic graduate anyhow you like, they are still
the engine room that drives the economy when it comes to technical
workforce.
Furthermore, because the so called institution who
produces students with universal knowledge, researchers who should
discover and invent new product and ideas, engineers who are to design
new products is also underfunded and lack innovations/standards, her
graduates resulted to blackmailing the polytechnic products who
obviously performs better because they perfectly fit into the middle
level manpower they are trained for and our present level of development
has little opportunities for researchers (not to forget chaep pay the
ND/HND accept as against their university counterpart). The University
system in Nigeria has since failed in its main purpose and since their
products can't function or fit in properly into their role, they are
forced to take up roles of the polytechnic graduate who is trained for
middle level manpower as they claim hence, the competition... they
suddenly discover the technical graduates are better. Today graduate
engineer cannot design, they are left with no choice than to hustle
technitian position to make ends meet in our little industries and too
bad they still want to be the boss with near zero technical knowledge.
why
all these epistles? The discrimination is as a result of hatred, envy,
lack of innovation/opportunity which has forced university graduates
justle for the limited openings and failure on the part of the
government. Nigeria is a sinking ship, so many things you'll imagine how
its been done. Only reasonable people like Prof. W Soyinka will see the
madness.
Here is my analysis, all over the world the minimum
number of credit unit to award a degree is 120. Before anyone in Nigeria
will graduate with HND, he/she must have accumulated over 150 credit
unit. The HND require 5 years before graduation as against 4 years for
some B. Sc courses, yet people still blindly say its not equivalent to a
degree. World Educational Services (WES) an international credential
evaluation body has evaluated lots of HND results and found them
equivalent to a US bachelor's degree and today, a lot of HND graduates
are undergoing or have graduated from their masters programme in the
US...they all gained admission with the Nigerian HND but we all know
what is obtainable here... polytechnic graduates even with distinction
will still have to enrol for PGD before masters, what happened to our
common sense? These same hypocrites who said you can't enrol for an
academic masters with your HND will admit HND for professional masters
without PGD since its a terminal programme and due to the fact that they
don't want the rubbished HND product to have an academic masters and
PhD. why the hate?
On a final note, I see the two certificate as
two rotten apple. A lot still need to be done on our educational system
which lack standard. HND or B.Sc, both products should be given equal
opportunity to prove their worth. Our judgement should be based on
individual capabilities and not certificate. Scrapping the HND and
changing all polytechnic to universities will not help our economy as a
developing nation as we are still in serious need of technical education.
The recent media sprout pertaining to the long lasted discrimination
between holders of Bsc and Hnd degrees have successfully passed through
to the second reading in the House Of Assembly.
However, the
nobel Laurette; Professor Wole Soyinka was invited to Channels TV to
share his opinion on the aforesaid issue. And he gave clarification on
the matter by saying the Government is the root cause of the
discrimination sprouting across all industries.
"Basically,
looking at this, one would agree the cut off marks for these
institutions are clearly not the same. But who sets these cut off marks?
What would it cost the Government to ensure the appropriate bodies
charged with the sole responsibility of setting the yardsticks into
these institutions; get to review the measures.
These are
pertinent things we shy away from. I can tell you I have been across
products from both institutions and you should know they both produce
quacks and good products. So its a question of individual development to
an extent. But as regards the nomenclature of the divide. Most people
claim, perhaps if the Government can put in facilities to upgrade the
polytechincs, maybe they can measure up. But that is pure rubbish.
When
was the last time facilities were installed in universities across the
nation? All these rants need to stop, because its like planting a seed
of enmity among these two categories of students.
When reliance
is totally placed on a government on issues like this, the society fails
to move forward. I personally think its high time students across both
divides started looking forward to what they can do for themselves as
individuals than what some certificate can do for you.
Geniuses
are made and not born, but apparently, we have a government that isn't
ready to scrutinize the frustrations being caused by the educational
sector to these children at the early stage. When I pass Jamb a couple
of times but refused admission several times at the university just
because I didn't make them both my first choice and second choice, won't
I opt for a polytechnic. Or must I keep trying till I wield grey hair?
We need to think deep about these things.
The government has
really neglected its checks and balances on that. A BSC holder and an
Hnd holder should be equal given that they were both able to squarely
take-on whatever that was thrown at them during their cause of study."
culled from nairaland
