The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Dr. Angela Ajala, has called for institutional collaboration with JAMB to improve teacher education in the country.
The ES made the call when she paid the Registrar, Prof. Segun Aina, a courtesy visit in his office in Bwari. In her address, Dr. Ajala stressed the need for inter-agency collaboration to cover any gaps where such exists. She said, “It is important that the two agencies synergize, because such helps us to access back-end information that could help us deliver on our mandate.”
Continuing, she said, “We are here to collaborate with you to see how we could improve the system, as well as what our students should be looking forward to while ensuring that education in Nigeria takes its pride of place in national discourse.” The first female ES of the Commission, also decried the dwindling fortune of the education sub-sector, particularly with respect to low enrolment, and quality of teachers being produced while announcing her plans to arrest the situation through synergy and strategic partnership. She pointed out that the Commission is committed to the realisation of the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu under the direction of the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa.
“No nation can rise above quality of its teachers. It’s not possible. It is also true because everyone at a point in time had sat in front of a teacher and every profession is taught by a teacher. So, if we are not passionate in putting together a means of preparing competent teachers for the future, then the Nigeria we expect to see may never come to be because it is a teacher that will make it happen. “We are happy that we have the mandate to revamp, to renew, and to take the sub-sector forward now we have what is called the dual mandate, which means we do the NCE, and we do the B.Ed, so when a student enters any of our colleges he is guaranteed three qualifications. This is because we have the NCE, Bachelor’s degree, and the Skills Certification, so that they are adequately prepared for the journey ahead of them.”
The ES also hinted about its collaboration with National Universities Commission (NUC) where over 50 erudite professors have been assembled to look at the components of the degree programme, with a view to making it viable in line with global dictates.
She thanked the Registrar for the warm reception accorded her, and commended him for the inroads he had made within his short time in office. “JAMB is doing a very great job, and we are very proud to be associated with it. We have come to felicitate, congratulate and collaborate with the new Registrar, Prof Segun Aina, whom we know will take the institution to higher level, “ she said. In his remarks, the Registrar assured the ES of the Board’s commitment to strengthening the existing relationship and leverage it for the benefit of the two agencies, the teeming population of candidates desirous of tertiary education and the education sector at large.
He noted that the teaching professions is a noble one and not just a profession that anyone will jump into by accident. You must have the passion of becoming a teacher, I think it’s like becoming a doctor or a pilot, we do not often accidentally fall into these profession, it is something that is driven mostly by passion, it is what you know you want to be, I knew I wanted to be a teacher and I didn’t apply for any other job, I knew I wanted to lecture so I pursued it squarely.
He also affirmed his avowed commitment to teacher education and promised to work assiduously to close the gaps, as well as brainstorm on ways of boosting the fortune of the critical sub-sector. “We would also be counting on your support as we begin consultations for some of the changes we have to make to the structure of the examination so that we can ultimately have a shared vision in mind, which is that of producing quality workforce for the nation’s labour market.
