By Citizenship Daily
The Federal Government has expressed commitment to raise the standard of education in various public institutions of learning across the country.
Minister of Education, Mr. Tunji Alausa gave the commitment at the 15th combined convocation and 50th anniversary of the Federal College of Education Yola at the weekend.
The Minister said that the Federal government has committed huge sum of money towards rejigging the sector.
He congratulated the graduates, and charged them to be good ambassadors of the college, and added that the government is working assiduously to amend TETFUND legislation to secure funding for the initiative.
Represented by the Director, Reforms, Coordination and Service Improvement of the Ministry, Dr. Yusuf Saeed, the Minister said support programmes like the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NEL-FUND), JAMB exams, NCCE and NUC are part of mechanisms put in place to ensure quality education among Nigerians.
“The federal government remains steadfast in its commitment to improving the condition of tertiary education for good.I therefore urge you (graduates) to put into practice the skills you have learned, and pursue your destiny (ies) with vigor and commitment”, the Minister said.
In his remarks, the representative of the Executive Secretary, National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCC) and Director, Special Duties in the Commission, Lawrence Babatunde Aremu said that the commission is steadfast in ensuring colleges of education produce highly qualified teachers grooved with the needed skills and knowledge to propel Nigeria’s education system to greatness.
Babatunde tasked the graduates to use the knowledge impacted on them contribute in shaping the future of education in Nigeria saying that the graduates have exhibited resilience,hard work,patience and hope to attained the achievement in their studies.
Earlier in his speech, Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri encouraged the outgoing students to continue to upgrade their educational status as education experts.
Represented by the Deputy Governor, Prof .Kalatepwa Farauta, Fintiri said that his administration has benefitted from the contributions of all federal tertiary institutions in the state especially the FCE Yola with the man power supply of teachers to schools .
He added that his government will do more by increasing funding for institutional strengthening of the educational system in the state.
Provost FCE Yola Dr. Mohammed Usman Degereji while delivering his welcome address reiterated that the college is in the process of teacher production, hence the graduation of 15,139 students.
He highlighted some of the successes recorded by the college including; infrastructural development, state of the art learning facilities, reinvigoration of staff and capacity building mechanism through trainings among others,
He acknowledged and commended the support and harmonious working relationship between the college and the Adamawa state government, federal government, the TETFUND and other intervention agencies.
Awards were given to 11 outgoing students who distinguished themselves in a academic performance as National certificates of education were also presented to the 15,139 celebrants .
Meanwhile, the need for urgent implementation of national teachers education policy at all levels to enhance quality teacher education training and recruitment has been stressed.
The guest lecturer at the convocation ceremony, professor Muhammad Gurama Dukku made the position known while delivering the convocation lecture themed “50th years of innovative quality teacher education and bridging gaps for community service”.
Professor Muhammad Dukku dwelt on a topic “Fifty years of bridging the teacher education gap in Nigeria: the experience of the federal college of education Yola,” emphasized the demand for trained, quality and competent teachers for a viable education system.
Dukku expressed dismay over act of engaging unqualified teachers at primary and secondary levels of education by some schools especially in the private space emphasizing that, the success of any educational system depends on the quality of its teachers.
He therefore recommended the implementation of teacher education curriculum in terms of content and pedagogical skills, stepping up of full professional teaching in Nigeria.
