Rector seeks NBTE help in accreditation of community-owned institutions
NBTE
Rector seeks NBTE help in accreditation of community-owned institutions
• Points to financial burden when having accreditation of new programmes.
The Rector, The Polytechnic, Iresi, Osun State, Azeez Adewoyin, has appealed to the National Board for Technical Education to assist community-owned institutions lessen the financial burden they usually face whenever they are having accreditation of new programmes.
Adewoyin also urged the government to give community-owned institutions necessary incentives, noting they were complementing the government’s efforts to provide jobs for the populace.
Adewoyin, while speaking on Tuesday at a press conference heralding the institution’s 1st combined convocation, also called for community-based institutions inclusion in the institutions benefitting from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, adding that parents of students attending community-based institutions are also taxpayers.
The Rector said unlike before, the cost of accreditation and re-accrediting courses had gone up, a situation constituting an impediment to the smooth running of the institutions.
He said, “In the past, what we used to do is to write the National Board for Technical Education that you want to mount certain courses or certain courses you mount is due, and they should come to re-accredit them. They would tell you the time they are coming and what you will do is only to provide for their accommodation and feeding of the personnel.
“But now, they are going to bill you. You will have to pay a certain statutory amount, apart from the accommodation and feeding. Now, to accredit courses now runs into about eight or nine digits figure. All these are impediments to an institution of this nature because it is not set up primarily for profit making.
“An institution like this is doing a lot for the community. The institution is adding to the economy of the Iresi community. Iresi is an integral part of Osun State, and the development of Iresi adds value to what is happening in Osun State. Also, the level of employment through the polytechnic increased and these workers will pay taxes in turn, increases the revenue generation of the state.
“Also, community Polytechnics should benefit from Tetfund even if it is a certain percentage because the parents of these students equally pay tax, and it is out of this corporate tax that they collect together and use to fund institutions.”
Speaking on the maiden convocation of the polytechnic, Adewoyin said a total of 1,914 graduands would be released during the ceremonies, urging the graduating students to shun vices and be good ambassadors of the institution.
“A total number of 1,914 students will graduate, 1884 with National Diploma (ND), and 30 with Higher National Diploma (HND). The HND is our first set and they are from Accountancy and Computer Science,” Adewole said.
