Poly students threaten showdown, warn lecturers

•Insist on computer-based exams

Students of Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State, have threatened a show­down with their lecturers should they attempt to disrupt the computer-based examination (CBT)and OMR scheduled to com­mence today by the management.

The lecturers, led by the former chairman of Aca­demic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Anambra State’s chapter, Dr Onyeka Uwakwe, had concluded plans to protest against management’s resolve to use the computer to administer examination for the students.

The students in a five-page petitition to the Rector, dated August 1, 2014, signed by president, Students Union Government (SUG), Giant Comrade Martin Umeokonkwo, Speaker of House of Parliament, Nwali Paul and the Acting Chief Justice of SUG, Okafor Chidiebere, said the computer method of administering examination introduced by the management was the best for them.

They argued the method would check missing scripts, sales of unauthorized textbooks by lecturers, extortion, improve markings and computation speed, accuracy, among others, adding that they are disposed to embracing technology to set example for other insti­tutions nation-wide.

“We, on behalf of thousands of students of Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State, respectfully write with greatest sense of humility to express our profound satisfaction and massive support for our “digital” Rec­tor, Prof. Godwin Onu, in his bid to sanitize our system and wipe out age-long challenges experienced by our colleagues in the hands of lecturers through the intro­duction of the computer-based examination and OMR.

“Our reaction became imperative following a two-page letter on computer examination, though without reference number, but signed by the leadership of a faction of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic, (ASUP), Federal Polytechnic Chapter, Dr Onyeka Uwakwe and made available to us.

“We want to categorically state here that we have taken our time to study the advantages of this innova­tive system and it remains the only way to redeem our colleagues from the trauma, exploitation and abuses they go through in the hands of lecturers which had frustrated and sent so many to their early graves.

“We have received so many lectures on the comput­er-based examination system and we shall be better equipped with it. During the training, we discovered that our challenges ranging from delay in the release and computation of results, sexual abuses of our female colleagues by some lecturers and sales of unauthor­ized text books would be put behind us. Also bribe for higher marks above others are also behind us because our papers will be marked and scored by machines.”

“It’s really sad and provoking to note here that some of our female colleagues especially married ones were in several occasions compelled to pay for accommo­dation in hotels around town with their own money only for lecturers to come and feast on them and still fail them at the end of the day but the CBT/OMR will address these cases. So many of us due for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have long been over- delayed with the old system where it takes over three months to produce a result. Again, lecturers who did not come to classes for lectures deliberately sets very impossible questions and massively fails the class and then humiliate us into paying some money for pass mark.

“They also use class representatives to perpetrate their act. We had reported lots of these cases to the management but up till today, we are still waiting for a reply.

“The smooth take-off of the CBT with the Public Administration department revealed to us the absolute need to study even harder, from cover to cover and in between the lines for examinations because one may not exactly know where questions will be picked beside we shall have equal opportunity in the examina­tion halls to assess our competence, in a situation where questions are joggled and it is difficult to cheat with the limited time.

“Within one week, all students of Public Administra­tion received their scores without any missing result,” the students said.



THE SUN