ERC condemns exclusion of part-time students from NYSC

The Education Rights Campaign (ERC) has condemned the decision of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to exclude Higher National Diploma (HND) graduates who completed their National Diploma (ND) through part-time programme.

It said the policy not only undermines the efforts of thousands of hardworking Nigerian students but also perpetrates unnecessary discrimination in our education system.

Describing the policy as ‘unjust’, the organisation called for immediate reversal and mobilisation of all affected students.

This was disclosed in a statement in Abuja on Saturday, signed by ERC Deputy National Coordinator, Ogunjimi Isaac and National Mobilization Officer, Adaramoye Michael Lenin.

“We also consider this policy lacking in logical basis; the affected students are graduates who have successfully completed their full-time program as stipulated in the criteria of NYSC,” they said.

“Why exclude them on the basis of their record of ND part-time program history. It is necessary to add that this unfair policy does not extend to students from foreign institutions who graduated on full-time program after transitioning from part-time.

“The Education Rights Campaign (ERC) calls on the boards of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to immediately reverse this unjust and discriminatory policy, and also begin the immediate mobilization of all affected students.

“We also call on the leaderships of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) to wake up to their responsibility of defending students against terrible policies like this.

“It is also important for students, both those presently affected and those who would soon meet the same fate, to begin to organize for a resistance.”