An educationist, Sunday Fowowe, on Thursday, urged the Federal Government to align curricula of Higher National Diploma (HND) progrmmes with that of Bachelor’s Degree programmes to reduce content disparities and general dichotomy.
Mr Fowowe, the National President of the Association of Nursery and Primary Education Instructors in Nigeria, made the suggestion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
He said that Bachelor’s Degree was viewed as more prestigious due to its university origin, but noted that polytechnics were technically-focused.
“HND holders often face barriers in employment. Some government roles exclude HND holders from management-level positions.
“Even in the National Youth Service Corps mobilisation, HND students face additional screenings.
“Also in the labour market, employers may still favour B.Sc holders due to persistent bias,” he said.
According to Fowowe, a 2021 survey by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) found out that over 60 per cent of employers in Nigeria still consider HND inferior to Bachelor’s Degree, even when a Postgraduate Disploma (PGD) is added to HND.
“However, some universities now accept PGD holders for Master’s Degree programmes, helping to bridge the academic gap,” he said.
He said that HND/Bachelor’s Degree dichotomy could be eliminated with legislation and policy change, with enforcement of equal recognition laws.
“The Federal Government’s 2021 announcement to abolish the B.Sc/HND dichotomy in civil service was a major step.
“However, implementation remains weak. Stronger enforcement can signal institutional change.”
Fowowe said that upgrading polytechnics to degree-awarding institutions would also be helpful.
“Countries such as Germany have universities of applied sciences, which combine practical learning with degree status.
“Aligning HND and B.Sc curricula can reduce content disparities. NBTE has revised its HND curricula to match NUC standards, making them more comparable,” he said.
He added that encouraging industries to set skill-based entry and promotion criteria, rather than paper qualifications alone, could eliminate the disparity.
“Programmes such as Industrial Training Fund and NECA-ITF Technical Skills Development Project aim to reduce employment bias.
“Government campaigns to promote the value of polytechnic education and clarify that practical skills are as valuable as theoretical knowledge are vital,” he said.
The educationist said that there was also need to encourage polytechnic graduates to get professional certifications and accreditations,” he said.
NAN
