The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, OJAJA II, has expressed confidence in polytechnic education in Nigeria

The traditional ruler described polytechnic education as a major contributor to the economic and technological development of the country.

The Ooni stated this while receiving authorities of The Polytechnic Ibadan (TPI),  who paid a courtesy call on him at his palace in Ife.

Ogunwusi noted that the tutoring he received at TPI,  in his days as a student, adequately prepared him for future challenges in life.

He, however, accepted the homecoming programme being designed by the institution,  to celebrate him on a date to be agreed upon.

The royalty expressed happiness and willingness to return to the institution that taught him that hard work,  was the panacea to poverty.

Earlier, The Rector of  TPI,  Prof. Kazeem Adebiyi,  had observed that the story of TPI ,  would not be complete without mentioning the Ooni.

He said: “The polytechnic produced the royal father and other distinguished Nigerians, including governors, senators, business icons and industrialists among others.

“The Ooni of Ife cut his teeth at the Mechanical Engineering Department of the institution,  where he bagged a National Diploma,  before proceeding to the university for further academic laurels.”

The homecoming programme planned to celebrate the Ooni,  would also encourage the current students of the institution to work hard and excel, as the world remained  at their feet. The rector added.

The Provost of Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, Dr. Wahab Azeez, has said that the only way to address  low enrollment in colleges of education is to allow education colleges run dual mode – both the National Certificate for Education (NCE) and degree programmes.

Speaking during the institution’s matriculation, he said: “The only way we can address it is to allow colleges of education to run dual mode. For those who want to come in for teaching education, let them first of all come for three years programme for their NCE, then for their degree they will just spend two extra years, that will make it five years.

“The second way is to allow all colleges of education to be converted to universities (or retain the name) colleges of education if we do not want to change the name. But we should be allowed to run degrees from first degree to PhD level,” he added.

A total of 727 students matriculated at the event held at the Paul Alabi Multipurpose Hall – 635 for NCE, and 92 for the Professional Diploma in Education (PDE) programmes.

Underscoring the importance of the ceremony, the Provost said the matriculation was significant in several ways.

“Firstly, it is only at matriculating ceremonies that students offered provisional admission are formally presented and declared bonafide students of the college. Secondly, as bonafide students you are to take Matriculation Oath and sign the authority, rules and regulations.
Thirdly, it is a ceremony at which fresh students are fully integrated into the academic community. Finally, the ceremony is the climax of series of activities designed to introduce fresh students to the college systems and ensure that they derive the greatest benefits from the resources available in the college,” he said.

Azeez told the freshers that the school had taken necessary steps to ensure security on campus, urging to play their role in making the campus safe by being security conscious.

“You are strongly advised to be security conscious and imbibe good maintenance culture in order to complement the efforts of the College Management. Also, you are to avail yourselves of the services of the Students Affairs Unit in times of difficulties and needs.

Mixed reactions have continued to trail the recent scrapping of general cut off marks for admission into the country’s tertiary institutions by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

JAMB had at its Aug. 31, 2021 virtual policy meeting said that tertiary institutions were now to set their own minimum benchmarks.

The meeting was chaired by the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu.

While some stakeholders said that the decision would help loosen JAMB’s grip on the universities, others said it would enable some institutions get enough candidates to fill up existing vacancies in their various programmes.

Speaking on the matter, a former Minister of Education, Prof. Chinwe Obaji, applauded the development, noting that it was a right step in the right direction.

She noted that it would once again ensure that these tertiary institutions go for what they want.

”To me, I feel this is very laudable. I want to give kudos to ministry, the board and other stakeholders for arriving to this point.

”It is the tertiary institutions that produces these graduates and so, it will not be out of place to allow them determine for themselves, who they feel is suitably qualified.

”Moreover, we should not forget that universities elsewhere and even within the country, usually fix minimum benchmark for various programmes.
”However, if I may ask, when there was uniform benchmark, how many of these institutions were obeying the rules?,” she queried.

Prof. Oluwole Familoni, Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, described the development as a ‘mix bag’.

According to the professor of chemistry, while it is a cheering news to some institutions, especially private ones, others are indifferent.

”For established universities for instance, the development does not really matter. Because even before this development, where universities were directed to take candidates with scores as low as 180, this university still had its benchmark.

”Someone with 200 from UTME cannot get placement let alone 180. This also applied to our Direct Entry procedure. We do not go below seven points, contrary to the new pronouncement of five and two as new minimum benchmark by JAMB.

”So, I think the development favours most schools who hardly get enough candidates to fill up existing vacancies in their various programmes.

”They could afford to go lower because, if you pitch a minimum benchmark across board with established universities, they may not be able get candidates,” he stated.

He, however, argued that it was not the responsibility of JAMB to give placements to candidates in the first place.

”It is good JAMB is  reducing its grip on universities, allowing them do what they want,” Familoni stated.

Segun Raheem, National Treasurer, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) also threw his weight behind the development, describing it as heartwarming.

Raheem argued that in the first place, JAMB should not be saddled with the responsibility of giving admissions to candidates that had applied for various programmes in the respective institutions.

He stated that this was in form of arbitration of universities autonomy.

“Since it is not JAMB that made the candidates’ choice of universities, then they must allow the universities to determine the cut-off, based on availability of vacancies in various departments.

“This will balance up the rate of expected admission in each universities.

“Giving all tertiary institutions opportunities to determine their cut off marks is a great idea,” he said.

Raheem added that this idea would not downgrade education system in tertiary institutions.

“Currently, what we are facing in education system is not low standard but the outcome of teaching learning process that falls.

“You can compare courses or lectures we are having these days with those days, performing index then was higher than now,” he said.

On the contrary, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Joint Campus Committee (JCC), Lagos chapter, said that the abolishment of cut off marks by JAMB, was a sign that the country’s education system was loosing its quality and values.

Rasheed Ogunsanya, Chairman of the association, said that cut off marks were supposed to be a benchmark for any candidate who craved for higher education.

“It is so bad that only less than 30 per cent of candidates who sat for the last Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) by JAMB were successful.

“I believe with this low percentage of successful candidates, JAMB  does not have any choice, than to allow many institutions to decide for themselves,” he stated.

The Lagos State Government has announced staggered resumption for schools and guidelines for the Y2021/2022 academic session for public and private schools across the State.

This was contained in a release issued on Monday by the State Ministry of Education.

The state’s Education Commissioner, Folasade Adefisayo, stated that all schools are expected to resume on Monday, September 13, 2021, while students of Model Colleges and Upgraded Schools will be required to resume in batches from Sunday, September 19, 2021.

“Boarding students in Model Colleges and Upgraded Schools, as well as SS2 students seeking placement into SS3 class are expected to resume on Sunday 19th September 2021. The revision for the classes will run from 20th to 26th September while promotion examination to SS3 class will start from 27th September to 8th October 2021,” she said.

Adefisayo further noted that “the newly admitted JS1 students into Model Colleges and Upgraded Schools are to resume on Saturday, 2nd October, 2021 for a one-week orientation programme to intimate them on secondary school structure and modalities.

“Other returning students in JS2, JS3, SS1 and the newly transited SS2 in the various Model Colleges and Upgraded Schools are to resume on Saturday, 9th October 2021, while classes for the students will commence on Monday, 11th October, 2021.”

She also noted that the adoption of staggered resumption for Model Colleges and Upgraded Schools was due to the presence of Y2020/2021 SS3 students currently writing the West African Senior School Certificate Examination scheduled to end on the 6th of October, 2021, adding that another reason is that the schools cannot accommodate seven sets at once in the boarding system.