LAUTECH: THE WAY FORWARD (part 3)
As we said previously, there must be some sort of a guideline that establishes procedures for doing things in the university system and we said that that is the problem LAUTECH is facing.
Let me give you some examples:
- The university is owned by two states: How is it funded on a regular basis from both sides?
- What is the input of the private sector to LAUTECH?
- There are two visitors to the university, the governors of the two states. How is authority regulated between the two?
- In express terms, how is the governing council formed and what is their duty?
- How should a vice-chancellor be appointed? On what bases could it be terminated and how?
These are not the only problems besieging the institution. It is a wonder that is has survived these twenty years sitting on a time bomb. The fuse is already melting. But there are others.
Take this, for instance. LAUTECH reportedly has more than 25,000 regular students. By that I mean 100 – 500 levels. On the average, each student takes about twenty units of courses per semester. This translates to twenty hours of lectures (and laboratory practical work) per week for each student. This gives us 500,000 (25,000* 20) student-hours per week. Also, lectures run for a maximum of ten hours (8 a.m. – 6 p.m.) every day. That gives us 50 hours of lecture per week. Now simple mathematics, we have 10,000 (500,000 / 50) students who should be having lectures at any instant every day.
Alas, the total capacity of lecture halls and theatres for regular students is no more than 5,000. Hence, 5000 people are being denied lectures every day. By the way, PHCN has just called off its strike action and restored power supply. Back to the point, these 5,000 people denied lectures either squeeze in themselves into an already tight environment; they usually do not get anything out of the lectures. In fact, most students attend lectures in the second half of the semester in order not to miss tests or quizzes. Where is the learning? The other option is to have lectures on Saturdays and, sometimes, on Sundays.
To be continued.
8/26/2010 7:16 PM
