The Kaduna State University’s School of Continuing Education on Saturday matriculated 450 freshmen and women for the 2018/2019 academic session.
The Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Muhammad Tanko, said during the matriculation ceremony at Kakuri, Kaduna, that the school was established to increase access to quality education for national development.
Tanko urged the students to count themselves lucky for having been selected from thousands of qualified candidates.
“I urge you to study hard, be creative, and innovative, so as to be able to graduate with the necessary skills and become job creators.
“You can only make a difference and contribute to national development if you study hard. I equally advise you to stay away from cultism and all forms of examination malpractices.
“The university does not condone such acts, and I assure you that you will be expelled with immediate effect, if caught,” the vice-chancellor warned.
Tanko said that the University would continue to work towards increasing access to quality education for teeming youths in the state, and introduce relevant academic programmes needed to transform the society.
Also speaking, the Director of the School, Hajiya Maryam Ahmed, explained that it offered part-time programmes specifically to provide opportunity for working class adults to update their qualifications and skills.
“It is also open to adults, who are unable to secure admission into a tertiary institution on time, but are ready to pursue university education,” Ahmed said.
She said that the school, with about 800 students, was currently running eight programmes namely, accounting, business administration, sociology, geography, political science, international relations, criminology and economics.
One of the matriculating students, Mr. Mohammed Bello, a civil servant, commended the University for establishing the school to serve the interest of working-class people.
Bello, who has a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Public Administration, said he secured admission to study Political Science, adding that the programme had provided him with an opportunity to update his qualifications with ease.
“I have been hoping to upgrade my qualifications from HND to a Bachelor of Science degree, to ensure career progression but this was disrupted by the HND/B.sc dichotomy.
“But now, I have the opportunity to do so.
“I am so happy and looking forward to my graduation day,” Bello said. (NAN)
