By Correspondent in Sokoto
Governor of Niger state Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu has identified scrapping of Teachers Training Colleges(TTC) as part of the challenges facing Nigerian Colleges of Education (COE) in the country.
The Reporters recalls that TTC produced Grade 2 teachers, thus boosting the quality of education
in Nigeria some years back.
Former Governor, who was the Speacial Guest Speaker at the 22nd Convocation & Golden Jubilee Celebration of the Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto on Sunday, said the problems of Nigeria education system was not about policy making but on implementation.
He recalled that in 1977, the National Policy on Education was published, indicating the desire to have National Certificate of Education (NCE) to be the minimum qualification to qualify for teaching profession.
He noted that the policy this not answer the many questions bedeviling the sector till date.
Speaking on the topic: “The Place of Colleges of Education in the Development of Nigeria”, Aliyu said the topic became imperative, considering the many challenges that beset the education sector, exacerbated by the cancellation of TTCs,which produced Grade two teachers to fill the lowest cadre of teaching profession.
The former governor said most of the teachers were yet to go digital in line with global best practices, thus thus drawing back the process of ensuring retention of the best teachers to man the sector, adding that many of the teahers were not Information Communication Technology (ICT) compliant.
He said: “For Colleges of Education to take their proper place in the development of Nigeria, teachers must get proper recognition, education must be seen as a sin-quo-non which is the foundation for quality manpower development, creator of wealth, the conveyor of successes in life and as well, service to humanity,”he said.
Aliyu regreted that lack of formulation of proper education policy befitting for Nigeria also gave rise to the discordant tunes in the sector between the north and southern part of the country, giving rise to jetisonning of western education by some misguided elements.
Aliyu called northern Governors to intensify efforts at bridging the disparity between the region and their southern counterpart.
He said, “Northern States have virtually been devastated by the insecurity; North-East may take many years to recover from the activities of Boko Haram that has been on for more than eleven years, killing and maiming innocent people, causing refugee problems and as well Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), villages and towns deserted,he added.
Aliyu, who expressed optimism that with sound education, most of the challenges of the north could be surmounted.
“When you look at what is happening in the states of Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto and Kaduna in the North West, where armed bearing bandits and the kidnappers hold sway, then you know we are in big trouble, farming opportunities stunted, markets deserted and travelling almost impossible.
“The Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria road, Zaria-Gusau, Zaria-Katsina have now become dangerous to ply, some years back, people enjoyed more night travel but all these have become almost impossible today. Some of us travelled on motorcycles to our hometowns on holidays but all these are no longer possible due to insecurity.
“The worst hit at the moment is the North-Central states, including Niger which suffers from the spill-over of Zamfara kidnapping and armed banditry activities.
The bandits now pick people from their homes. Benue is suffering from the herders’ farmers’ conflicts while Nasarawa and Kogi recently suffered the problems of adherents of Darul-Salam that was dislodged from Mokwa, Niger state in 2009”.
Aliyu,therefore, challenged present leadership at the three tiers of government to, “Pay more attention to the health and education systems, with a view to ending medical and education tourism outside the country.
According to the special guest speaker, serious attention focused on education and health sectors would put pay to ASUU strike, sale of handouts and victimization of students by unethical teachers
