By Damola Kola-Dare

Provost, Adeniran Ogunsanya College College of Education, Oto-Ijanikin, (AOCOED), Prof. Bilkis Lafiaji-Okuneye has emphasised the need for proper investment and structural change in the teacher-education sector as part of the new normal following disruptions caused by COVID-19.

“The pandemic has pushed the world into the deepest global recession in living memory which will have lasting effects on economies, public finances, learners and teachers, hence, we urgently need investment and structural change in the teacher-education sector,” she said.

She spoke at the institution’s matriculation ceremony for full-time students, last Wednesday on campus.

Read Also: Teachers trained on substance abuse prevention

Lafiaji-Okuneye reiterated the college’s commitment to addressing inequality and providing youths with skills to build a better future for themselves and their communities.

She explained that the institution had adopted technology and numerous innovative teaching methods to help students in their studies.

“We adopt innovative pedagogical approaches alongside direct instruction to help young people not only remember and understand,but analyse and create. We also adopt smart use of technology and data that allow for real-time adaptation without necessarily replacing analogue approach,” she said.

The Provost urged the matriculants to work hard and resist any form of obstacle that may hamper their progress.

Lafiaji-Okuneye who noted that their background was not a barrier to their success, enjoined them to eschew unethical practices and make their stay on campus worthwhile.