The Federal Government may soon grant approval for the running of degree programmes independently in selected Colleges of Education and Polytechnics across the country.
The Minister of Education, Prof. Ruquayyatu Ahmed Rufai, gave the indication at Abuja during a meeting with some provosts and rectors of colleges and polytechnics, to constitute a technical committee to work out modalities for the award of Dual Mode degrees in those institutions.
A higher standard, she said, would be set for the colleges of education and polytechnics that would be granted approval to award degrees in their selected favoured courses, while those who meet the set standard would subsequently be granted similar consideration.
Rufai disclosed that a Technical Committee comprising of a representative from the Office of Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, National Planning Commission, Budget and Finance Ministry, Chief of Staff to the President and National Universities Commissions, NUC, would be coordinated by the Ministry of Education in the drafting of policy guidelines.
She added that the technical committee would meet with the regulatory bodies to consider the resources verifications and cost implications for the first beneficiaries from among the colleges of education and polytechnics.
The courses that would be allowed to run on degrees, according to the minister, are those the institution, based on the resource verification, has the greatest potentials for and which are expected to impact positively on the national economy.
The first beneficiaries, Rufai said, included Alvan Ikoku College of Education, Owerri; Adeyemi Federal College of Education, Ondo; Federal College of Education, Zaria; Federal College of Education, Kano; Kaduna Polytechnic and Yaba College of Technology, Lagos.
She said: “When the programmes commence, not all the colleges or polytechnics will be involved except those that meet the set standards designed by the regulatory body.
“Also, the courses that will be run on degree would be assessed based on the resources verification and cost implication that would jointly be looked at by the technical committee to be set up.”
The National President of the Association of Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, Mr. Chibuzor Asomuga, called for cancellation of the earlier intention of the Federal Government to convert Kaduna Polytechnic and Yaba College of Technology to universities, as doing so, would distort the set objectives of the institutions.
Source: National Mirror
