PRO-CHANCELLORS of Nigerian federal universities have advocated for cost-sharing in the running of the universities through re-introduction of tuition fees.
Federal universities in the country generally do not charge tuition fee. What students pay for are sundry charges introduced by individual institutions.
But the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Nigerian Federal Universities says this tuition-free policy is no longer sustainable in view of the current harsh economic realities and rising cost of running the institutions.
This was contained in the communique issued at the end of the committee’s two-day national conference with the theme ‘Sustaining Tertiary Education in a Harsh Economic Environment’.
The communique was signed by the secretary-general of the body and former vice chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Professor Michael Faborode.
The pro-chancellors advised the Federal Government to come up with a policy that would encourage parents, guardians and government to equitably share the financial burden of education.
According to the communique, the conference noted that the debate on whether education is a social service or a commercial commodity to be sold to arrive at the real cost of university education remains unresolved, though many delegates subscribed to the need to share the burden and costs of education at the tertiary level.
Apart from the call on the government to establish an education bank to provide loans and access to finance for students, the committee called on the government to increase the level of scholarships, bursaries and other aids for students desirous of pursuing tertiary and postgraduate education.
The communique read in part: “Proprietors should also adhere strictly to the guidelines and templates for appointing the chairman and members of the councils, to ensure that only the best in society are saddled with the task of governing our universities.
“University councils and managers pledged to lead the way for an urgent review of our educational system, which appears to be more theoretical than practical, so that going forward, graduates will come out with hands-on skills and experience that will enable them match market requirements and/or be self-employable.
“They also commit to a central role in resolving the crisis of categorisation and differentiation of higher institutions in Nigeria, by adhering strictly to their institutional mandates, rather than perpetuating the current desire to boost IGR (internally generated revenue) at all cost by running all courses available.
“Also, they agreed that university education currently requires fundamental reforms in curriculum design, teaching methods and management style that will improve the quality of graduates, research output, and provide academic stability and excellence by stopping the current unwholesome practice of ‘moonlighting’ by academics.
“As a corollary, the regulating agency, NUC, will be prevailed upon to strictly control the licensing and establishment of new universities in alignment with the quantum of qualified academic staff.
“The current inclination towards free tuition or free university education is unrealistic to the national vision for practical and qualitative education and not sustainable.
“On what should constitute the true cost of university education, and to equitably share the financial burden of education, universities are encouraged to canvass a change in policy to enable students pay revised fees commensurate with the true value of university education.”
The conference also argued that both the integrated salary payment system (IPPIS) and treasury single account system (TSA) are otherwise not conducive to the university system, unless with appropriate and novel modifications which must be undertaken a priority, lest Nigerian university’s competitiveness will be severely impaired in the global university community.