ASUP Faults Composition Of Committees By TETFund, Demands Curriculum Development For Polytechnic Education

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has called on the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to look into fresh intervention on curriculum development for polytechnic education in the country.

The ASUP National President, Anderson Ezeibe, disclosed this in Abuja at a Two-Day interactive session between TETFund and unions of beneficiary institutions.

Ezeibe said that curriculum development was an integral part of tertiary education that will foster functional and impactful education for polytechnics.

The National President, however, expressed dissatisfaction at the way the Fund sets up its committee without involvement of the polytechnic unions and urged for a correction to enhance effective participation.

“We call for a better inclusion of our sector in the strategic committee of TETFund. Our position is that you cannot build capacity by exclusion.

“The continued exclusion of our sector from the committee of TETFund will continue to undermine capacity building in our sector and also the capacity of the sector to actively compete in the areas of research fund,” he added.

He also expressed worry at the spate of abuse of the release of funds by TETFund to institutions management.

He urged TETFund to design a policy position to ensure trade unions are involved in the level of monitoring and evaluation in projects embarked on in various institutions.

Speaking while welcoming the delegates, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, stressed the need to consistently engage and challenge one another on how to better improve the institutions.

He said that the engagement was also for the purpose of sustaining steady growth and development of tertiary education.

“It is our fervent hope that this interactive session will provide an enabling environment for us to understand some of our challenges and difficulties in the delivery of quality education in our institutions,” he said.