By Isaac Job
The National Board for Technical Education ( NBTE) and the Rector of Akwa Ibom state Polytechnic , Ikot Osurua in Akwa Ibom State Dr Moses Umobong have disagreed on the time frame for training of Lecturers with first degrees to upgrade to master’s level or risk demotion to Non Teaching staff in all Polytechniçs across Nigeria.
It would be recalled that the NBTE had issued a circular to Polytechniçs directing all Lecturers with first degrees to upgrade to Master’s degree within five years or be converted to Non Academic Staff .
In a circular titled ” Conversion of Academic Staff Who Have Spent Five Years Without Acquiring a Master’s Degree To Non Teaching Staff” signed by Executive Secretary Prof Idris Bugaje ordered all Lecturers with first degree to proceed for their Masters programme or face compulsory conversion to Non Teaching staff after expiration of five years period.
Reacting to the directive at the sidelines of TETfund South South Town Hall Meeting held in Uyo, Dr Umobong faulted the NBTE directive saying that the classrooms will be empty as all the Lecturers will abandon their duty Post to scramble for the training.
Umobong said that TETfund policy only allows Polytechnic Lecturers in the South South to attend their master’s degree at University of Calabar and Port Harcourt and appealed to the interventionist agency to permit at least one university in each to run the programme.
” But there is this TETfund policy that says only Unical and Uniport are permitted for Lecturers to go their Master’s Degree programmes for South South
” What I am saying is that if Lecturers are allowed to go for this programme as directed by NBTE there will be problems.
” This will be full time programme to meet up with NBTE requirement and timeline.
“This means the classrooms will be empty and students will suffer .
” I call for TETfund to review the policy and allow one university per state to take care of this postgraduate programme so that the students will not be stranded . Academic work on Polytechnic campuses will be grounded .
” Now that we are about to implement the NBTE directive, it will be disastrous for students” .
Umobong therefore suggested that NBTE should extend the timeline for Lecturers without Master’s Degree to acquire it .
” This is because we can not send all Lecturers out for training at the same time .
” NBTE should have at least extended to policy to 10 years period or a moratorium of additional 3 years to make it 8 years knowing that the first two years of a Lecturer employed in the Polytechnic us for confirmation while the remaining 6 years will be for the training.
” We can not send all of them out for training at the same time but we can do it in batches . This is my suggestion”.
NBTE, Akwa Poly Rector disagree over timeline for training of lecturers
