Appraisal of the management of federal polytechnics in south east nigeria

Thesis Overview

<p> <strong></strong></p><p><strong><strong>INTRODUCTION</strong></strong></p><p><strong><strong>Background of the Study</strong></strong></p><p><strong>Polytechnics are higher institutions set up primarily to produce indepth<br>technical manpower in administrative, technical and commercial fields for the<br>development of national economy. In Nigeria, it is widely recognized that<br>polytechnics play crucial roles in the education of future leaders and<br>development of high level technical manpower. According to the National<br>Board for Technical Education (1993), polytechnics are technical institutions<br>offering multi post-secondary technical education programmes outside the<br>universities leading to the award of diplomas/certificates such as the National<br>Diploma (ND), Higher National Diploma HND) and Post-HND professional<br>diplomas. Okpeodua (2007) opines that the decision of the Federal Government<br>to set up polytechnic education was predicated on the decision to revolutionize<br>the society technologically. Hence, polytechnics are established to train and<br>produce the technical manpower necessary for the execution of the nation’s<br>development plans, goals and strategies. This is a role which they have<br>effectively played since the establishment of the first polytechnic, Yaba<br>College of Technology, in 1947.</strong></p><p><strong>The sensitive position of polytechnics in the Nigerian educational<br>system is vividly captured by the 2002 education summit organized by the<br>Federal Ministry of Education. In the summit, polytechnics were recognized as<br>authentic tertiary educational institutions on the same pedestal as universities, xv<br>but with its own characteristic orientation towards the production of<br>technological manpower and technological innovation for industrial<br>development in Nigeria. The federal ministry of education summit (2002)<br>therefore resolved that the mission of polytechnics is to produce knowledgeable<br>and innovative graduates worthy in character and learning through effective<br>teaching, research and public service for the technological advancement of the<br>country.</strong></p><p><strong>The core functions of polytechnics as captured in section (2) of federal<br>polytechnic Act (1979) are:</strong></p><p><strong>(a) to provide full-time or part-time courses of instruction and<br>training in technology, applied science, commerce and<br>management, and in such other fields of applied learning<br>relevant to the needs of the development of Nigeria in the<br>areas of industrial and agricultural production and distribution<br>and for research in the development and adaptation of<br>techniques as the council may from time to time determine;<br>(c) to arrange conferences, seminars and study groups relative to<br>the fields of learning specified in paragraph (a) of this<br>subsection (i);<br>(d) to perform such other functions as in the opinion of Council<br>may serve to promote the objectives of the polytechnic<br>(p.5878).</strong></p><p><strong>In the same vein, section 80(c) of the National policy on Education<br>(FRN) (2004) states that “polytechnics shall give training and impact necessary<br>skills that will fast track the nation’s drive towards technological development<br>as well as producing graduates who can prove themselves worthy men and<br>women and who are able to use their brain as adequately as they can apply their<br>hands.</strong></p> <br><p></p>