…says HND holders with good grades can now lecture in poly
From Daniel Attah, Kaduna
The National Board for Technical Education, on Wednesday, inaugurated the new Schemes of Service for Nigerian Polytechnics staffers as approved by the Federal Government.
The new schemes of service is for institutions under the supervision of the Board mandated to regulates and oversees educational programmes offered by technical institutions at secondary, polytechnic and monotechnic levels through an accreditation process in Nigeria.
The Executive Secretary of the NBTE, Prof. Idris Bugaje said with the newly approved schemes of service, polytechnic graduate with “good grades” could now be employed as Academic Staff as “Graduate Assistant” to lecture in polytechnic like his counterpart in the university.
Bugaje told stakeholders including members of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Council of Heads of Polytechnics and Colleges of Technology (COHEADS), among others that gathered at the NTBE corporate headquarters in Kaduna on Wednesday that the new Scheme of service for Nigerian Polytechnic became operational from June 7, 2024.
He added that from the operational day(June 7, 2024 ) of New Scheme of Service, previous versions of schemes of service, ceased to become legal tender, noting that “we are all united from now onwards to operate the new Schemes of Service in the Nigerian Polytechnic System.”
According to him, with the Schemes of Service, Higher National Diploma holders with good grades were now to be appointed as Academic Staff (Graduate Assistants) like their degree holder counterparts in a “system that is theirs”.
Bugaje explained further that the instructor cadre which represents segregation against HND holders in the past had been abolished, adding that the Technician cadre been subsumed by the Technologist cadre, allowing National Diploma holders to be appointed as Assistant Technologist.
The NBTE boss said, “I warmly welcome all esteemed stakeholders in the Nigerian Polytechnic System, gathered here for this important event, the formal presentation of the New Schemes of Service for all Nigerian Polytechnics, operational from June 7, 2024.
“From this date all previous versions of the Schemes of Service, and there were many of them, cease to become legal tender. We are all united from now onwards to operate the new Schemes of Service in the Nigerian Polytechnic System(NPS).
“This milestone has taken over a decade of struggle and efforts by our Staff Unions, Rectors of Polytechnics through their COHEADS/COFER bodies, the Federal Ministry of Education, and the NBTE.
“I must commend all of you for all your contributions and pray that we shall operationalize the new Schemes of Service with all sense of responsibility.
“Schemes of Service cannot be said to be perfect, since it is man-made, and could still be subject to future reviews. But we are happy with the new Schemes for the following innovations:
“HND Holders with good grades are now to be appointed as Academic Staff (Graduate Assistants), like their degree counterparts, in a system that is theirs.
“The Instructor cadre which represents segregation against HND holders in the past has been abolished. The Technician cadre has been subsumed by the Technologist cadre, allowing ND holders to be appointed as Assistant Technologists.
“The Pharmacy Technology cadre has been maintained. For those with a HND in Pharmacy Technology, but who may not be allowed to work in hospitals by the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, their space in the public service has been retained.”
Bugaje added that the new schemes of service presented a unified approach to the recruitment and promotion of staff across Nigerian Polytechnics, Federal, State, and even private.
“We shall use it as an instrument of accreditation in old and new Institutions in terms of compliance,” he added.
He said some grey areas raised by Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic which had over the years been a source of concern to various unions, such as the terminal level for the Registry Cadre which is now the Deputy Registrar (CONTEDISS 15) since the position of the Registrar is tenured on consolidated salary like other principal officers, would be resolved.
