It is not permitted for lecturers to compel students to buy handouts - ASUU
- Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities stated that there were a few bad eggs within the system who still compel students to buy handouts
- The ASUU president disclosed that there was a structure in place for tracking and dealing with such unethical practices, as the union is completely against it
- A cross section of Nigerian students also decried the rate at which some lecturers extort money from them in the name of selling of handouts
The Academic Staff Union of Universities in Nigeria (ASUU) has expressed displeasure at the mandatory sale of handouts by some lecturers in tertiary institutions, NAN reports.
Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, president of the union, expressed this view in an interview on Tuesday, August 15, in Abuja.
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He stated: “It is not wise for lecturers in our tertiary institutions to compel students to be buying handouts.
"Though it is not a widespread practice, we have few people that are misbehaving.
“But the system has a way of handling them, so anywhere they see them they always put them on check.
“It is not permitted in the system and there is a structure for tracking and dealing with that; so ASUU as a union doesn’t condone it, and we discourage it anywhere and everywhere we go.”
A cross section of Nigerian students also decried the rate at which some lecturers extort money from them in the name of selling of handouts.
Speaking in separate interviews, students lamented that they were being forced to buy handouts, and that failure to do so could result in failing the courses.
Mr. Osita Chukwu, a student in the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Abuja, alleged that the lecturers usually assigned some students to sell the reading materials to them.
Chukwu alleged that the handouts were sold between N1,500 and N2,000, saying that the students were also made to submit their registration numbers for identification of defaulters.
He said: “The most annoying thing is that you may have three lecturers handling a course and each of them will print a handout for students to buy.
“And they will make it compulsory, so that you have no option than to subscribe to it, because if you decide to photocopy it, you may stand the risk of failing the course.’’
Miss Joy David, a student in the Faculty of Business Administration, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, decried the manner some lecturers compel students to buy handouts that sometimes lack depth.
Contributing, Miss Janet Obiora, a student of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, said the sale of handouts by some lecturers had promoted mediocrity among students as many of them no longer go to the school library to do research.
She opined that the mandatory sales of handouts also encouraged laziness among students who often want to concentrate on the handouts from their lecturers.
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that ASUU embarked on an indefinite strike action.
The lecturers decided to go on strike after an extensive deliberation at its meeting which held at the University of Abuja on Friday, August 11.
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Source: Legit.ng
