ASUP strike, Polytechnics and matters arising

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n 2007, my first child wrote the JAMB examination and expressed shock that some parents (mostly mothers) were visibly making efforts to manipulate the system in favour of their kids.  On 12/4/14, my youngest child wrote the JAMB exams and regretted that  the invigilators and supervisors were the ‘wholesalers and retailers’ ( these were his exact words) of ‘pre-paid’ results, and that candidates paid N2000 for questions 1-30 and another N2000 for questions 31-50. This was happening inside the hall and in the very before of everybody! That was in Lagos. A mechanic friend of mine told me that her sister must pass the exam because she wrote in the center where his neighbor was officiating and that it was somehow preplanned. That was also in Lagos. Of course, we are all aware that a medical Doctor that was so madly in love with his wife that he decided to go a write the JAMB exam for her in Jigawa State and was caught in the process. And now, the results are out: only 108512 scored 200 and above, out of 1,015,504; just 10%. Well, these are the signs of the times and you are free to interpret the times as your spirit directs!

My concern however is on the ASUP-polytechnic lecturers- strike and several matters that have risen out of it. COESU( our College of Education –COE-colleagues) are also on strike but let me face one direction today. ASUP has been on strike since 29/4/13, though they went on a ‘mid-term break’ to enable the FG to fulfill further agreements reached on their 13 point charter of demands.. The issues in contention include CONTISS 15 migration for lower cadres, Needs Assessment for Polytechnics (PTs), release of Whitepaper on visitation panels, job placement of HND graduates, and reconstitution of governing councils. It is disheartening that a strike by whatever group has been allowed to last up to this period with the direct and collateral damages on the students, the schools, our educational system and the society at large.

I am not surprised because it is in the character of this government to toy with its agreements and promises because even when ASUP suspended the strike in July last year and reduce the issues in contention from 13 to 4, there was no good news from the oga-on-top at the Educational Ministry. It is public knowledge that Wike has a more serious attraction and distraction outside that ministry and  that is  Port Harcourt.. Sometimes ago, we had a CBN governor who declared that the emirship of Kano was his dream. But rather than allow him to pursue his dream, we tied him down with the top job at CBN and we know where and how it ended. The President should allow Wike to go and test his strength  in PH rather that keeping his body in the ministry at Abuja while his soul and spirit are in PH. We have had enough crises at the education sector and I think that easing Wike out will go a long way in solving these messy educational problems

 I agree that ASUP should fight for its rights and use all legitimate means to do so. But the rate at which people are bringing ASUU into the matter and mixing it with the  HND/B.SC dichotomy  is becoming increasingly worrisome. The government is accused of giving undue attention to ASUU and catching cold whenever ASUU sneezes while at the same time accentuating the BSC HND dichotomy. These tendencies then sabotage the mandate of the PTs in leapfrogging technological breakthrough for the Nation. This argument is also canvassed by other stakeholders. It is very difficult for me to comment on this, not because I am a government official, but because I am an ASUU person and it is not proper for brothers to ‘fight’ against brothers.  But intellectuals must discuss so as to see issues from different perspectives.

 On 16/7/13, Vanguard wrote an editorial on ‘More Disturbing Education Matters’. It  recalled that in  2013, 1670, 833 applied for Universities, 28977 for PTs and 28445 for COEs. In that year, 56208 applied to University of Ibadan which is the 10th university by students preference and that was almost equal to the total number that applied to PTs and COEs(57422). Vanguard blames this on the discrimination against PT and COE graduates, noting that while ASUP ‘striked’ for 2months before getting attention, ASUU striked for just 1 week and there was confusion everywhere. On the elementary level, this makes sense because of the number of people involved. In 2014 examinations, while 955000 applied to universities, 15000 applied to COEs. It is also important to note that while cutoff for universities in 2013 was 180,it was 150 for PTs.

But it appears that the PTs have abandoned their core mandate and are trying to become universities. In the process, they are neither universities nor PTs. The goals of polytechnics are to provide instruction and training in technology, applied science, business management, technical knowledge and skills, production of technicians, technologists and train people who can apply scientific knowledge for environmental wellbeing. Admission into technology and business courses shall be weighed in the ratio of 70:30. But polytechnics have diverted attention to Banking and Finance, Business Administration and Secretarial Studies; it is only medicine, pharmacy and law that they do not offer. They are also all making arrangements to become universities or become degree-awarding institutions and that is beyond those whom the government has planned to convert to universities. Ibadan Poly has concluded plans to become a degree awarding institution by becoming a campus of Blake college, University of London  just as Oyo state declared that it  will turn it into Oyo state technical university. (Thisday, 21/2/12, p34). The same trend is also observable in Collages of Education where The Committee of Provosts are planning to award degrees without affiliating with any universities so as to attract brilliant students rather than the current scenario where only 2.2% apply to COEs (Communique at the end of 2nd national conference,  COE, Akwanga, March, 2012). PTs have even started inaugural lectures when they do not have professors!

There are problems with PTs, just as there are with the entire educational system. Those involved should fight their battles but they should leave universities out of it. Comparison never pays because whenever you compare, you would always be worse than some and better than some. 

 Ik Muo