Old students seeks TCC re-establishment

Class of 1978 of the defunct African Church Teachers’ Training College (ACTTC), Epinmi Akoko in Ondo State, has advised Federal Government to re-establish Teachers’ training Colleges (TTC) nationwide  as a major step to stem towards addressing  declining standard of education in Nigeria.

Rising from their inaugural meeting at Akure, the old students expressed disgust at the neglect and seeming lack of genuine concern by governments in Nigeria over the past three decades, which members said was rooted in the primary system.

This was contained in a statement signed by Otunba Dapo Olaosebikan, a veteran journalist /author and new publicity secretary of the group.

The statement also raised fear on the ageing instructors and teachers who will naturally be pulled out of service within the next decade. It therefore sought a declaration of a state of emergency in education.

Addressing reporters after the meeting the newly elected chairman of the old students Mr. Olukayode Adewumi, said the group would continue to tell government to revitalise basic education.

His words: “The decline in standard of education in Nigeria is the result of abolition of Teachers’ Training Colleges and its replacement with ad hoc training of teachers by the National Teachers’ Institute (NTS),”he said.

Commenting in a similar realm, Mr. Tijani Elewa, a retired Director in Ondo State Ministry of Education and the group’s financial secretary, said there is no better time than now for re-establishment of TSS as a capacity development tool for genuine socio-economic development of the country.

According Elewa, the half-baked and unemployable graduates largely produced nationwide today is the direct result of bad foundation they had before getting into secondary and tertiary institutions.

In her contribution, Mrs. Kudirat Obayan, retired teacher and Vice Chairman of the group, said that in addition to TSS authorities should equally revisit the primary school curriculum. The group, according to her, insists the authorities should reinstate Civics, Geography, History, Bible and Quran Knowledge as opposed to Religious Knowledge in primary schools in Nigeria.