By Amaka Abayomi

“Do you know how many students will be denied the opportunity of being educated with the ban of part time programmes in institutions of higher learning? Does it mean that I just wasted my money to process admission for a part time programme at Uniben because I don’t know what else to do?”

These are some of the questions that have been asked by majority of Nigerians whose only chances of acquiring higher education have been denied them with the recent axing of part time programmes in all universities by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

Giving reasons for the ban, Executive Secretary, NUC, Prof Julius Okojie, said the step was taken to rationalise the activities as well as ensure that best practices and standards are maintained.“Stressing that until the ban is lifted, admission into part-time programme will not exceed 20 per cent of a varsity’s total intake while lectures will be restricted to varsities campuses only, Okojie said NUC will not hesitate to sanction any institution that goes against this.

“If, according to Aristotle, that it is the educated people that are most capable of steering their behaviours toward the golden means (away from excesses) and overcome humanity’s inherent problem of weakness of the will, there is the need to equip more Nigerians educationally to steer them towards golden means.

Asking for alternatives to providing access to education for those who desire such, an engineer, who intends to run a part time programme, asked “what is wrong with having more than 20 per cent as part-timers? Why stop satellite campuses? What are the impacts on quality of education? Have they proposed better ways to deliver quality university/college education in a flexible manner to the teeming population of Nigerians who need these skills to gain competitive-advantages?

“Once again, it seems we apply the same ‘smash and destroy’ Nigerian mentality, kick against any form of innovation, if it has any faults, ban it and disregard its advantages. Of course, there are faults with any method to deliver education, but we should be looking for ways to improve and properly regulate them, rather than banning.”

Calling the ban an insane move by the NUC, a banker who simply gave his name as James, said NUC’s job is to ensure delivering of quality education not stop part-time studies. “This is insane because when you go to other climes, part time programmes strive because that is the last hope for those who can’t afford to attend full-time studies.”

For Ogenetega, who intends to run a part time programme due to his job, said “it is better for NUC to suspend the programmes in schools that are ill equipped for such as some schools have solid part time programs. Do you know how many people will be denied the opportunity to gain from such programmes so I urge NUC not to throw the baby away with the bath water.”

Tasking Professor Okojie to appoint people that will monitor part time programmes in schools, a part time student said NUC is supposed 2 set the rules rather than create confusion by suspending the programme. “Sanction any varsity can’t stay by the rules because the programme is meant for a particular category of people in d society and it’s done in developed countries. As far as I’m concerned, it’s senseless for the NUC to suspend it.”

Pointing out that the ban is just another means to increase patronage for the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), a respondent who declined to give her name said “ïf the programme is successfully stopped, the only alternative for those who can’t go for full time courses will be the NOUN, which is a pet project of the Federal Government as there will be a massive rise in admission rate in this pet project.”