 |
| Bisalla |
We teach
students to convert waste to wealth –Lecturer
students to convert waste to wealth –Lecturer
Aliyu Mohammed Bisalla is the acting
Head of Department (HOD) and lecturer at the Department of Arts and Industrial
Design, Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa.
He teaches Painting and Drawing.
In a chat with UJI ABDULLAHI ILIYASU during the School of Applied
Sciences Annual Exhibition Week which held at the secretariat of the Academic
Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) of the institution recently, he talks about
the significance of the exhibition and the indispensability of polytechnic
education to Nigeria’s industrial development.
Head of Department (HOD) and lecturer at the Department of Arts and Industrial
Design, Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa.
He teaches Painting and Drawing.
In a chat with UJI ABDULLAHI ILIYASU during the School of Applied
Sciences Annual Exhibition Week which held at the secretariat of the Academic
Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) of the institution recently, he talks about
the significance of the exhibition and the indispensability of polytechnic
education to Nigeria’s industrial development.
What is the
significance of the annual exhibition you are observing today?
significance of the annual exhibition you are observing today?
We are showcasing the work of arts
and industrial design. The essence of this show is to expose what we are
teaching our students in terms of creativity. These creativities are geared
towards self-reliance for our students. They became job providers instead of
job seekers after graduation. This is in line with the Polytechnic Act that
requires technical and vocational education. What you can see here were wastes
that had been converted to wealth. Some of the artworks you see here are
paintings, drawings and graphics. We created them with the scraps obtained
within our environment so that we wouldn’t spend much money in order to produce
them. As you can see we are adding more value to education towards making our
students self-dependent just as I told you earlier. Our students can use the
creativity they learn here to turn around their fortune after graduation.
Instead of waiting for years to get government job, they can manipulate
available materials in their environment to create wealth. In the department we
train students to become painters, graphic artists, sculptors, textile and
basic designers.
and industrial design. The essence of this show is to expose what we are
teaching our students in terms of creativity. These creativities are geared
towards self-reliance for our students. They became job providers instead of
job seekers after graduation. This is in line with the Polytechnic Act that
requires technical and vocational education. What you can see here were wastes
that had been converted to wealth. Some of the artworks you see here are
paintings, drawings and graphics. We created them with the scraps obtained
within our environment so that we wouldn’t spend much money in order to produce
them. As you can see we are adding more value to education towards making our
students self-dependent just as I told you earlier. Our students can use the
creativity they learn here to turn around their fortune after graduation.
Instead of waiting for years to get government job, they can manipulate
available materials in their environment to create wealth. In the department we
train students to become painters, graphic artists, sculptors, textile and
basic designers.
Were the
work of arts displayed here made by you or your students?
work of arts displayed here made by you or your students?
Most of the works you are seeing here
were done by my students. The only ones I did myself are the framed paintings.
Some of the works are projects of our final-year students while some are class
works or assignments given to them.
were done by my students. The only ones I did myself are the framed paintings.
Some of the works are projects of our final-year students while some are class
works or assignments given to them.
Do you enjoy
the sponsorship of any government agency like TETFund or the exhibition is
purely your school affairs?
the sponsorship of any government agency like TETFund or the exhibition is
purely your school affairs?
We are not being sponsored by any
government agency or nongovernmental organisation (NGO). This is purely our
work by ourselves. The works we brought out for the exhibition are just a small
part of what we have.
government agency or nongovernmental organisation (NGO). This is purely our
work by ourselves. The works we brought out for the exhibition are just a small
part of what we have.
Why is
Nigeria so anxious about polytechnic education? Can you advise the government
on that?
Nigeria so anxious about polytechnic education? Can you advise the government
on that?
Most of our industries need manpower
and it is the polytechnic graduates that were trained from school that will
able to provide the technical manpower needed in the nation’s industrial
sector. This is why I feel that the polytechnic education is very important and
indispensable in the Nigeria’s education sector. We need technical education to
revive our dying industries and advance our economy as a whole. Therefore, the
importance of polytechnic education cannot be overemphasised. The university
education has its own sphere of importance; they are usually theoretical in
nature while polytechnics provide practical experiences in schools which could
be used for economic and technological development. Our courses here are 90 per
cent practical.
and it is the polytechnic graduates that were trained from school that will
able to provide the technical manpower needed in the nation’s industrial
sector. This is why I feel that the polytechnic education is very important and
indispensable in the Nigeria’s education sector. We need technical education to
revive our dying industries and advance our economy as a whole. Therefore, the
importance of polytechnic education cannot be overemphasised. The university
education has its own sphere of importance; they are usually theoretical in
nature while polytechnics provide practical experiences in schools which could
be used for economic and technological development. Our courses here are 90 per
cent practical.
Many
stakeholders in the sector are claiming that that the standard of education has
fallen. How true are they?
stakeholders in the sector are claiming that that the standard of education has
fallen. How true are they?
Yes. I agree with that notion. The
fallen educational standard was occasioned by some factors such as corruption
and loss of family values. Corruption takes what belongs to the larger society
to the benefit of a few. The money meant for classrooms, welfare of teachers or
teaching aids and other cognate subventions in schools are cornered to private
property. Also parents no longer look after their children. Nowadays children
spend more time on social media than on their studies. Parents no longer care
about their children’s studies. Their concern is that they must pass their
examinations, thus contributing to examination malpractice in schools. Many
students don’t take their education serious because they believe that they can
always get what they want through their parents. Also the government and all
stakeholders’ approaches to education in the country are very discouraging.
Because the money appropriated in education budgets are hijacked to private
use, most facilities that will give education its quality nature and standard
are not there. Most of the available facilities in the labs are obsolete and
the attempts to replace them have become a mirage. Government needs to stand
firm in order to revive the sector.
fallen educational standard was occasioned by some factors such as corruption
and loss of family values. Corruption takes what belongs to the larger society
to the benefit of a few. The money meant for classrooms, welfare of teachers or
teaching aids and other cognate subventions in schools are cornered to private
property. Also parents no longer look after their children. Nowadays children
spend more time on social media than on their studies. Parents no longer care
about their children’s studies. Their concern is that they must pass their
examinations, thus contributing to examination malpractice in schools. Many
students don’t take their education serious because they believe that they can
always get what they want through their parents. Also the government and all
stakeholders’ approaches to education in the country are very discouraging.
Because the money appropriated in education budgets are hijacked to private
use, most facilities that will give education its quality nature and standard
are not there. Most of the available facilities in the labs are obsolete and
the attempts to replace them have become a mirage. Government needs to stand
firm in order to revive the sector.
Do you think
the advancement in information technology is contributing to the fall in
education?
the advancement in information technology is contributing to the fall in
education?
Technology is also contributing to
the decline in education. Information and communication technology (ICT)
facilities today have created social media where students engage themselves in
and spent all their valuable time instead of reading their books. For instance,
WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter and what have you. I think this is where we have
the negative impact of technology affecting our life.
the decline in education. Information and communication technology (ICT)
facilities today have created social media where students engage themselves in
and spent all their valuable time instead of reading their books. For instance,
WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter and what have you. I think this is where we have
the negative impact of technology affecting our life.