The new online top-up programme for HND holders to get a bachelor’s degree for a year through international authorised colleges is intended for HND holders who desire to pursue an academic career, according to the National Board for Technical Education.
The explanation was provided in a statement made accessible to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday by Hajiya Fatima Abubakar, Head of Media Unit for the NBTE. Prof. Idris Bugaje, the board’s chief executive, was reported by Abubakar as stating that the curriculum is intended for HND graduates who want to pursue careers in teaching and research at universities or polytechnics rather than for all HND holders. The Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) provided by Nigerian universities can be substituted with this top-up.
The Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) given by Nigerian universities is an alternative to this top-up.
“HND holders should be able to choose between the PGD and the top-up to BSc in a democracy like ours,” he remarked.
He said that the explanation followed confusion regarding the programming in some publications.
He claims that the top-up is giving HND holders who wish to pursue academic careers more options rather than ending HND programmes in Polytechnics.
The decision to launch it with international colleges is made to demonstrate its widespread acceptance in the hopes that Nigerian universities will ultimately adopt it. The cost is reasonable, just about 10 per cent of what regular face-to-face students pay.
NBTE has developed the curriculum to give interested Polytechnic HND holders the opportunity to compete with their peers who possess bachelor’s degrees.
And for those who are interested in pursuing a career in academia, make it simple for them to pursue their Master’s and Doctorate degrees, he said.
When the plan was first announced earlier this month, Bugaje claimed that it would help the nation’s HND holders.
He said that the board had to find a different option, which involved working with some overseas universities to offer a one-year top-up to HND holders.
At the moment, many PhD holders who advanced intellectually via the HND, PGD, and PhD are returning to register in BSc courses in Nigerian institutions, which is a very backwards move.
The HND qualification in and of itself signifies something special, and this top-up should be an incentive for individuals to enroll for polytechnic education as there is a road for advancement into academics.
He highlighted, “This would never lessen the core of technical education, but rather improve it.
