NBTE decries conversion of Polytechnics to Universities

The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), has criticized the conversion of polytechnics to universities.

The board Executive Secretary , Prof. Idris Bugaje, said this in Abuja on Tuesday at a retreat for chairmen of governing councils and principal officers of all federal polytechnics.

He said the retreat was organized by the board in conjunction with the Committee of Federal Polytechnic Rectors.

Bugaje said: “The universities are swallowing the polytechnics. Polytechnics and universities are parallel, we are not feeders. The college of education (COE) feeds the university system.

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“If you convert a COE to university, you are upgrading it, but if you convert a polytechnic to university, you are degrading it and this will not help the economy.

‘’We must stop this crave of converting polytechnics to universities. So, I advocate a reverse of conversation of universities that are not doing well to polytechnics.’’

On his part, Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, said the ministry was pursuing release of the N15bn for the revitalization of facilities in the public polytechnics, review of the scheme of service and resolve the issue of Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure (CONTISS) 15 Migration.

NBTE conversion of Polytechnics to Universities