Dr. Smart Olugbeko, President, Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), has decried the idea of paying lip service to the teaching profession in Nigeria.
Olugbeko spoke during an event to commemorate the 2024 International Teachers Day in Abuja on Friday.
The event has the theme: “Valuing Teachers Voices Towards Repositioning Teacher Education in Nigeria”.
He said that the attitude of government and other actors towards the education of teachers would only make the country underdeveloped.
According to him, until teachers are taking seriously, there will not be any meaningful development.
“In Nigeria, teachers have played a crucial role in shaping our nation’s development.
“We have produced renowned leaders, innovators and change-makers who have contributed significantly to our country’s growth.
“As COEASU, we have consistently advocated for quality education, improved working conditions and the welfare of our members.
“The College of Education (COE) system occupies a frontline position in the teaching industry, amd in recent times, we have recorded monumental achievements through our collective efforts at promoting teaching profession,” he said.
Olugbeko commended the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, for his role at ensuring the commencement of the DUAL MANDATE implementation in the 2024/2025 academic session.
He described the DUAL MANDATE is a game-changer for Nigeria’s education system, as it increases access to quality education, enhances employability and provides more options for students.
”It marks the dawn of a new era in our system. It will strengthen teacher education and expand access to degree education while ensuring maximisation of huge investment with COE system,” he said.
He charged members of the union to focus towards higher academic attainments, professional excellence and productivity.
He said that the union had initiated an upward review in the criteria for career
progression for COE lecturers.
According to him, this is with a view that qualifications and research output are requisite for rank attainment in COE match global standards.
The Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, said that an important aspect of teachers’ education was the Advanced Teacher College.
Oloyede charged the union to make efforts to rename the Advanced Teacher College as the Advanced Teacher Institution geared towards the production of professional teachers in the country.
The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, expressed the commitment of the government in providing conducive environment for teachers to practice.
Mamman, represented by the Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu, said that the ministry was poised to ensure that the teaching profession remained great.
Presenting awards of scholarships to the outstanding students in COE in each of the geo-political zones, he said that the ministry would also initiate scholarships for the best students.
He said that this would propel the students to do better as well as make them role models to inspire others in the teaching profession.
The event featured Legacy award for educational advancement to the JAMB registrar, Oloyede and the Executive Secretary, TETFUND, Sonny Echono.
Awards of N500,000 was also given to the best student from each zone and N1 million to the overall best in all the COE.
The best student from the North Central Zone is Ruth Nwachukwu, a student of Nasarawa State COE Akwanga, while the best student in North East zone, Abdullahi Musa is a student of Aminu Saleh COE Azare, Bauchi State.
The North West Zone had Barau Nusaiba, from Sa’adatu Rimi COE, Kumbotso, Kano State as the best student.
The South East Zone had Obinna Nwoha, a student of Benjamin Uwajomogu State COE clinching the first position.
Also the South South Zone had Miracle Ezeanofu, a student of Federal COE (Technical), Asaba as the best student.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mubarak Latona from Federal COE, Iwo Osun, South West Zone, won the 2024 overall best student in all the COEs in Nigeria. (NAN)
