By Ummi Ismaeel,
Minna
The former Governor of Niger State, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, has identified the scrapping of Teachers Training Colleges (TTCs) which produced Grade II teachers as part of the challenges facing Nigerian Colleges of Education (COE).
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 for teaching profession, stressing that the change was yet to provide solution to the challenges of the sector.
The former governor spoke at the 22nd Convocation & Golden Jubilee celebration of the Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto on Sunday December 27, 2020.
He pointed out that another problem of the Nigeria education system was non-implementation of its policies.
In a topic titled: “The Place of Colleges of Education in the Development of Nigeria”, Babangida Aliyu appealed to the government to reintroduce TTCs, which produce Grade II teachers, to fill the lowest cadre of teaching profession.
He also lamented that most teachers were yet to go digital, which he said was causing setback to education.
While advocating for a reversal of the trend, the former governor appealed for the retention of the best teachers to man the sector.
His words: “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 son-quo-non, the foundation for quality manpower development, creator of wealth, the conveyor of successes in life and as well, service to humanity.”
Babangida 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.
Though education remained stunted in the north with the propaganda that Western Education was ‘Haram’ or ‘Forbidden’ as being propagated by the notorious islamic extremist group, Boko-Haram, Babangida Aliyu advised northern governors to intensify efforts at bridging the disparity between the region and its 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 the notorious Boko Haram that has been on for more than 11 years, killing and maiming innocent people, causing refugee problems and as well Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), villages and towns deserted”.
Aliyu, who said that he was optimistic that with sound education most of the challenges of the North could be surmounted, stressed, “When you look at what is happening in the states of Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto and Kaduna in the North West, where armed bandits and the kidnappers hold sway, then you know we are in big trouble. Farming opportunities have 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”.
Babangida Aliyu therefore challenged present day leaders at the three tiers of government to “Pay more attention to the health and education systems, hence ending medical and education tourism outside the country where there is no ASUU strike, no Sales of Handouts and no victimization by unethical teachers”.
