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Tag: Colleges of Education

  • Are Colleges of Education still relevant?

    Are Colleges of Education still relevant?

    As the Federal Government mulls converting Colleges of Education (COEs) to Universities of Education, it is believed that it is a reflection of crisis in the sub-system, translating to scrapping them outright. Critics argued that the institutions have outlived their usefulness and significance. However, it remains to be seen if the plan would make education courses attractive to students rather than addressing deep and underlying issues affecting the sub-sector. DAMOLA KOLA-DARE reports

    Creation of Colleges of Education (COEs)

    The coming of Colleges of Education (COEs) was necessitated by the report of Ashby Commission in 1958, which highlighted the irregularities in the then colonial education in Nigeria. The commission stated that teachers’ training was sub-par and that many were un-certificated and ill-equipped. It then recommended the expansion of intermediate education for teachers. Thus, Advanced Teachers’ Colleges, which became Colleges of Education, were created.

    They were meant to produce well-qualified teachers for elementary and junior secondary schools to replace the older Grade II Teachers. Teachers from COEs were awarded the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE). The four that existed then were  Advanced Teachers College, Ondo; Advanced Teachers College, Zaria; Advanced Teachers College, Kano and Alvan Ikoku Advanced Teachers College. They increased in number gradually.

    But from then till this time, things have changed as the teaching profession is no longer considered prestigious. Sadly, students study education not because of keen interest or prestige, but as a last resort.

    Do we need the Colleges of Education?

    Last week, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, noted that the ministry was considering a proposal to convert all federal colleges of education across the country to universities of education. He wondered if the country still needs them because, according to him, they don’t exist in the United States of America and several other advanced countries.

    Speaking before the joint House of Representatives Committees on Education during his ministry’s 2025 budget defence at the National Assembly in Abuja, the minister explained that the plan became imperative because many students no longer sought admission into colleges of education.

    Alausa noted that despite budgetary allocation to the colleges of education, some of them were having less than 1,000 students.

     “Do we need these colleges of education? They don’t exist in the United States of America and several other advanced countries. Let us convert them to universities of education,” he said.

    He noted that in this year’s budget for education, N139.3 billion was earmarked for colleges of education and there are 32 federal colleges in the country.

    Institutions not meeting admission quota

    Colleges of Education (COEs) in Nigeria are affected by poor enrollment. Observers said students are unwilling to study education courses because they find them neither attractive nor lucrative. Data from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) shows that application into National Certificate of Education (NCE) programmes are usually the lowest.

    A breakdown revealed that between 2019 and 2023, only 211,201 applications were recorded for admission into COEs, universities and polytechnics that are running education programmes, but only 198,798 were eventually admitted. A further breakdown showed that in 2019, 34,138 candidates applied for NCE programmes, but 71,188 were later admitted. Therefore, candidates without interest in education were eventually admitted.

    In 2020, 80,355 applications were received, but 49,678 candidates were admitted. Thus, about 40 per cent were not successful with the process. In 2021, only 15,746 applications were received, but 30,731 candidates were admitted. Hence, candidates without interest in education were given admission.

    Also, 52,627 candidates applied for the programmes but only 35,466 were admitted in 2022. In 2023, 28,335 applications were received, while only 11,735 candidates got admitted.

    The admissions summary revealed that in 2021, a total of 494,088 admissions were recorded, but only 30,731 (6.22 per cent) were admitted for NCE. In 2022, 684,111 were admitted but only 35,466 were for NCE and in 2023, 474,765 admissions were recorded but only 11,735 (2.47 per cent) were for NCE.

    NCE admissions by quota showed that in 2021, out of the 454,700 quota, only 30,731 (6.75 per cent) were admitted. In 2022, with a quota of 469,125, only 35,466 (7.56 per cent) were admitted. In 2023, out of the 472,200 quota, only 11,735 (2.49 per cent) were admitted. COEs failed to meet the set admission quota in the years examined.

    While admission into COEs failed to meet its quota in terms of applications, cut off marks were pegged  low, yet that didn’t significantly improve enrollment. This underlines the move by the Ministry to upgrade, but many believe it is beyond that.

     Attempts to make COEs attractive

    In an attempt to make COEs attractive, the Federal Government last year gave approval to the National Commission for Colleges Education (NCCE) to allow the Dual Mode of concurrently running degree and Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programmes in colleges of education. However, this seems contradictory as government proposes converting them to universities.

    Executive Secretary of NCCE, Prof. Paulinus Chijioke, explained that the development was targeted at improving access to teacher education, addressing low enrollment, and ensuring quality production of professional teachers in the country.

     Chijioke also stressed the need to continue to elevate the status of the teaching profession, ensuring that it attracted the brightest and most passionate individuals. President of COEASU, Dr. Smart Olugbeko, lauded President Bola Tinubu for assenting to the Colleges of Education Establishment Act, which granted the colleges of education system autonomy to award degrees in teacher education concurrently with the previous NCE.

     “In line with the implications of the dual mandate, we have continually charged all members of our union to refocus towards higher academic attainments, professional excellence and productivity. “Let me put it on record that pursuant to the degree awarding status, our union initiated an upward review in the criteria for career progression for College of Education lecturers with a view to ensuring that the qualifications and research output requisite for rank attainment in Colleges of Education match global standards and justify the highly anticipated institution of professorial cadre.

     “We are ready for this and we urge the Federal Government to without further delay see to the implementation,” he said.

    Stakeholders’ stance

    Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), formerly Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), Prof. Bidemi Bilkis Lafiaji-Okuneye, said NCE has become a transition programme. She stressed that the certificate was no longer valid for employment.

    In an interview with The Nation, she said: “COEs may later go into extinction. If you go to government establishments and present NCE, they would still tell you to get a degree.

    “Before now, if you go through the college and you get NCE, when you seek employment, you are placed on Level 6 that is the bar of the junior staff. How many of our government establishments are ready to take on NCE graduates now? NCE has become a transition programme. It is just a transition to the degree. The certificate is no longer valid to take on employment. And private schools are taking advantage of this, they offer as low as N16,000 as salary per month. Students at colleges of education do better than those in the university. They have First Class or Second Class Upper when they come to university. They do better than those on four-year programme.

    Read Also: FG considering convertion of colleges of education to universities, says Minister

    “An average NCE student spends six months for teaching practice, but in the university, they spend just six weeks. So, who is a better teacher?

    “Even parents don’t want their wards to go through NCE. It is only when they cannot get admission elsewhere, they come to colleges. Everything is about mindset. No parent would like to send his/her wards to college of education, where you spend three years and still go to the university to spend another three, making six years.

    “COEs may later go into extinction. If you go to government establishments and present NCE, they would still tell you to get a degree. Lagos State still cherishes training of teachers with the University of Education, if not, they would have put us under Lagos State University as a school.”

    But Vice Chancellor, African School of Economics (The Pan-African University of Excellence), Abuja, Prof. Mahfouz Adedimeji, holds a contrary opinion. He noted that the said conversion of colleges to universities would mean that university graduates will be expected to teach in primary schools.

    He said: “It is a sad reality that most Nigerian applicants don’t want to attend Colleges of Education. The reason for this is what the teaching has been made to become, a profession that is seemingly left for those with no option. In recent years, from Lagos to Osun, Ondo to Kaduna, from Kwara to Borno, many Colleges of Education have been converted to universities, reflecting the crisis in the sub-system.

    While it is pragmatic that people be given what they want, the fact that Colleges of Education have their unique roles should make government not wipe them completely. The immediate implication will be that university graduates will be expected to teach in primary schools.

    “I think we shouldn’t scrap them as they provide opportunities for training pupils at the level of basic education.”

    Contributing on the issue, Deputy National President, National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), Chief Adeolu Ogunbanjo, said: “Colleges of Education came at that time because of the need to have professional teachers. We have had so much of them. But unfortunately, they are neither here nor there. They are not graduates. NAPTAN supports the proposal to upgrade the colleges to universities. Then with this, the teachers should be well trained so that education’s quality will improve. Of what use is NCE if it is not serving its purpose again? They have probably outlived their relevance and usefulness. When they were created, a special salary was created for them. We had so many of them. Now, they cannot be classified as ND or HND. They are neither here nor there. So, they should be turned to universities so that there would be no discrimination against any programme.

    “Since government wants the colleges upgraded, it should be ready for robust funding. So that we won’t start producing NCE holders in universities. Government should do the needful on proper funding.”

  • FG considering convertion of colleges of education to universities, says Minister

    FG considering convertion of colleges of education to universities, says Minister

    Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, said on Tuesday that the ministry was considering a proposal to convert all federal colleges of education in the country to Universities of Education.

    Speaking at a budget defence before the joint House of Representatives Committees on Education, the minister said the move becomes necessary because many students no longer seek admission into Colleges of Education any more.

    The minister revealed that despite budgetary allocation to the Colleges of Education, some of them have less than 1000 students.

    “Do we need these colleges of education? They don’t exist in United States of America, and several other advanced countries. Let us convert them to universities of education,” he said.

    On the 2025 budget proposal, the Minister said the budget is hinged on achieving major plank of President Bola Tinubu’s eight priorities which will be implemented through the ministerial deliverables of 2024-2027 in line with the education sector roadmap.

    Alausa said the thrust for the year 2025 is anchored on ensuring “that we provide opportunities for children to return to school, make the teaching and learning environment safer, improve the capacity of teachers to deliver curricular that are contemporary and globally competitive and improve the capacity of our tertiary institutions to produce appropriate human resource base for our national development.”

    He disclosed that at the moment there are 54 federal universities including 4 inter – university centres; 36 federal polytechnics; 32 federal colleges of education and 118 federal unity colleges divided into  conventional; sciences; and  science and technical currently being dedicated as technical.

    According to Alausa, the 2025 education budget is N2.5 trillion comprising N348.3 billion for Ministry of Education; N816.7 billion for Parastatals; N226.7 billion for Polytechnics; N139.3 for Colleges of Education; N811.9 billion for Universities; N171.6 billion for Unity Colleges and N3.1 billion for UNESCO Paris.

    Chairman of the House Committee on University Education and Chairman of the joint Committee, Abubakar Hassan Fulata said the committee will do everything within their constitutional power to avoid disruption of academic activities and improve the standard of education in Nigeria.

    He said due to lack of sufficient fund to meet competing demands, the ministry and all relevant institutions should ensure proper and efficient utilization of the fund allocated for them .

    Fulata warned against shunning invitations and summons by heads of MDAs, adding that the lawmakers carry out checks in line with the provisions of the constitution in order to ensure the MDAs are encouraged to do the right thing.

  • Governing Council chairmen seek more  funding for  Colleges of Education

    Governing Council chairmen seek more  funding for  Colleges of Education

    The Executive Committee of Chairmen of governing councils of Federal Colleges of Education (FCE) in Nigeria, has called  for more recognition and improved funding for  the colleges to enhance teacher education across the country.

    The committee led by its Chairman, Prof. Francis Faduyile, made the request when they paid separate courtesy visits to the Honourable Minister of State for Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, the Executive Secretary of TETFund and the House of Representatives Committee Chairman on Federal Colleges of Education in Abuja.

    During the courtesy visit to the minister, the committee chairman said the visit was to inform the minister about  some of the challenges bedeviling the smooth running of Federal Colleges of Education across the country, as well as to press home some demands that will aid effective implementation of teacher education programmes and policies.

    He observed that for effective training of the next generation of teachers in primary and secondary schools across the country, a lot needs to be done in the aspects of welfare of personnel, structures, equipment among others.

    Read Also: Obaseki reveals cause of rift with Oshiomhole

    Some of the committee’s demands according to Faduyile include, resumption of stalled renegotiation of COEASU-FGN 2010 agreement, review of the policy on outsource services in College of Education, implementing FEC directives of removing tertiary institutions from IPPIS, take-off grant for the newly established FCEs, Needs Assessment and Revitalisation Fund, as well as Governing Councils’ funding, among others.

    Faduyile reiterated the committee’s support in achieving the aims and objectives of the Federal Colleges of Education while assuring the minister of their determination in partnering with the ministry towards ensuring the progress of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

    In his response, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Government in resuscitating teacher education in all ramifications.

    He disclosed that a stakeholders’ committee had been set up for the implementation of the Federal Executive Council directives of removing tertiary institutions from IPPIS.

  • ‘Why colleges of education should be upgraded to varsities’

    ‘Why colleges of education should be upgraded to varsities’

    • By  Ayo Sanusi

    The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Ogun State, Prof.  Abayomi Arigbabu, has said colleges of education should be converted to universities of education to boost the quality and training of teachers.

     Arigbabu delivered the maiden Distinguished Lecture Series of the Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), Oto/ijanikin. It was entitled:  “Teachers’ peparation for Nigerian schools in contemporary world”.

    He said specialised universities of education are vital to  meeting the demands of modern education and ensuring that teachers are equipped with the skills and knowledge required to excel.

    Arigbabu underscored  the need to transform  colleges of education into universities of education to plug  the gaps in teacher training and enhance the quality of teaching.

    “Specialised universities of education serve as central hubs for disseminating educational best practices and innovative teaching strategies. They play a crucial role in guiding educational policy and proactive at regional and national levels.

    “To fully realise their potentials, specialised universities of education must undergo continuous upgrades and enhancements. Theses include modernizing infrastructure, updating curricular to align with emerging educational trends and investing in faculty development programmes,” he said.

    He noted that teachers’ preparation for Nigeria’s schools in the contemporary world requires a comprehensive and forward-thinking approach.

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    “Our classrooms reflect the rich tapestry of Nigerian societies, encompassing diverse languages, religious and socio-economic background. Therefore, teaching requires a healthy blend of content knowledge, instructional strategies and classroom management tactics,” he added.

    He said  teacher preparation programmes must take to technology to transform  the way students learn.

    “Overall investing in high-quality teacher education programmes is crucial for ensuring that educators are equipped to meet the complex challenges of the contemporary world and effectively educate and empower the next generation of learners,” he said.

    LASUED VC, Prof. Bidemi  Lafiaji-Okuneye decried the lack  of basic facilities in schools such as classrooms, textbooks, and teaching aids, which affects the quality of education offered by  teachers.

    “Without access to essential resources, teachers struggle to deliver effective lessons and engage students in meaningful learning experiences.

    “Many teachers in the country are not adequately remunerated for their works, leading to low morale and job dissatisfaction. Predictably, demotivated teachers are less likely to be effective educators,” she said.

      Lafiaji-Okuneye said  shortage of teachers remains a challenge, adding  that lack of job security, lack of career progression, among others discourage talented individual from pursuing a career in teaching, therefore compounding the problem.

  • 40% IGR deduction: Burden will be passed to parents, colleges of education union warns FG

    40% IGR deduction: Burden will be passed to parents, colleges of education union warns FG

    The Senior Staff Union at the College of Education, Nigeria (SSUCOEN) has rejected the planned implementation of a 40 percent deduction from the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of tertiary institutions.

    The union said the burden would be passed to parents if the federal government goes ahead to implement the policy.

    President of SSUCOEN, Danladi Msheliza said this in a statement on Tuesday, November 14, in Abuja.

    The policy of 40 percent auto-deduction of gross IGR is in line with the Finance Circular with reference number FMFBNP/OTHERS/IGR/CRF/12/2021 dated December 20, 2021.

    The circular limits the annual budgetary expenditure from IGR of the partially funded federal government.

    However, unions in the nation’s tertiary institutions have rejected the policy with many of them threatening to embark on strike.

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    The statement said: “All the Adjustments in the revenue will now pass unto the parents because students have to be charged the 40% to each subhead as IGR to the government. Otherwise, no College of education in Nigeria can survive.

    “For the record, Colleges of Education do not have anything called IGR. What students pay (as paltry sums) are service charges for student ID cards, hostel maintenance, games, etc.

    “It is unbelievable and mind blogging to note that the federal government wants Colleges of Education that are barely struggling to survive, and whose overhead cannot even pay for diesel or electricity bills, not to talk of students hostels and other logistics, would be asked to remit 40% of what they collect as registration fee from students as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to the federal government coffers to fund political elites’ indulgences.

    “This action, which can be likened to squeezing water out of stone and depositing it into an ocean, is, in our opinion, a deliberate effort by the government to systematically phase out Public Tertiary Educational Institutions in Nigeria just like they did to public Primary and Secondary Schools.”

    The union urged the federal government to reverse the policy of facing industrial unrest in the nation’s colleges of education.

    The statement added: “Government needs to, therefore, reverse with immediate effects, this anti-people policy and, allow the children of the poor to ‘breathe’ and go to school like the children of the elites.

    “If this is not done, Colleges of Education can no longer train teachers for Nigerian Schools. Additionally, the Union may have no option than to down tool and further mobilise students across all Colleges of Education in Nigeria to go to the streets and react to this anti masses policies.”

  • Polytechnic, Colleges of Education lecturers threatens strike

    Polytechnic, Colleges of Education lecturers threatens strike

    Few days after the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) began an indefinite strike to press home their demand for better working condition, there are indication that higher education sector may soon witness more strike action as lecturers in Nigeria Polytechnics and Colleges of Education are bracing up for another round of industrial action.

    Leaders of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics and Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union have threatened to embark on industrial action if the government continues to pay lip service to the welfare of their members and the working environment in their institutions.

    While expressing solidarity with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the struggle to restore sanity to Nigerian Universities and the education sector, General Secretary of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Comrade Anderson Ezeibe said the government must immediately commence the implementation of agreements entered into with the union to forestall an impending crisis in the polytechnic sub sector.

    He it was unfortunate that it has become a norm for government to renege on agreements entered into with trade unions, particularly in the education sector leaving affected unions frustrated and with no choice than to down tools.

    He said while ASUP is concern about the consequences of the strike on students, parents and society at large, the government should be held responsible for this avoidable industrial crisis.

    He said ‎ASUP is urging government to address the issue of shortfall in personnel releases in Federal Institutions since December 2015, non-payment of salaries in state Polytechnics, non-implementation of Needs Assessment report as well as non-payment of allowances.

    “ASUP notes with nostalgia the renewal of hostilities in the country’s university campuses between ASUU and Government of Nigeria.

    “While we are in unconditional solidarity with ASUU in this struggle to restore sanity to   Nigerian universities, we are calling on the Government to commence without further delay  the implementation of agreements entered into with ASUP to forestall an inpending crisis in the polytechnic sub-sector as the issues in contention which include shortfall in personel releases in Federal Instiuions since December 2015, non-payment of salaries in state Polytechnics, non-implementation of Needs Assessment report as well as non-payment of allowances”.

    On their part, National President of the College of Education Academic Staff Union, OGIRIMA Nuhu gave the federal government a 48 hours ultimatum to reconstitute the governing council of the Federal College of Education, Okene and stop the proposed interview for a substantive Provost for the institution.

    The union accused the governing council of being compromised by politicians and trying to impose a Provost on the institution, pointing out that failure to do that will compel the union to embark on an industrial action to press home other demands of the union.

    Nuhu said apart from halting the proposed interview slated for Monday, 21 August, 2017 and the reconstitute the Governing Council of FCE Okene which has been compromised, the government should conduct fresh interview for the position of provost and college librarian to allow for the participation of all that may be qualified, including those illegally disqualified.

    They also want the government to ensure a transparent and level playing for all applicants for same position in such colleges as FCE (T), Umunze, FCE (T), Gombe among others, adding that “should the Minister not see the need to address these concerns within the next 48hrs, from today, Wednesday, 16 August, 2017, the Federal Government should brace up for a serious industrial dispute on not only the FCE, Okene, matter but also all other outstanding issues to which FG paid only lip service.”

     

  • FG reverts varsity to college

    FG reverts varsity to college

    The Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Prof Emmanuel Kucha has said that federal government has reverted the Federal University of Health Sciences approved by immediate past administration in Otukpo, Benue State to a college of medicine at the University of Agriculture, Makurdi (UAM).

    Former president Goodluck Jonathan had approved the University of Sciences in Otukpo along with the upgrade of four Colleges of Education on the eve of his exit.

    Prior to the approval, UAM was earlier granted the license to run the college of medicine with its teaching hospital located in Otukpo.

    But the VC explained that Federal Government had reversed the previous administration’s decision to upgrade it to a university of Health Sciences independent of UAM.

    Kucha however said that the take off of the college has been put on hold pending the availability of funds.

    “As of now we are sourcing for funds to develop the college of medicine”, he said.

    To increase internally-generated revenue to meet the challenges in the institution, the Vice Chancellor said the university has expanded its crop farming of rice, corns, soya beans and other farm produce, and also established table water project which he said has improved the institution’s revenue.

  • ‘Let colleges of education award degrees now’

    The Students Union of Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education Oto/Ijanikin, has called on the Federal Government to grant colleges of education the autonomy to award degree in education.

    The students described as unacceptable the current trend where students after completing three years of NCE, would spend additional three or four years in a university before finally graduating. This, the students describe as unnecessary waste of time.

    The president AOCOEDSU Ojoare Waheed delivered a farewell speech at the college premises on Monday as he drew the curtain on his executive.

    He noted that some colleges of education in the country were recently upgraded to universities, adding that it would not be out of place if other public colleges follow suit.

    “It remains a sheer waste of time to many of us who after clocking 18 years, end up spending six to seven years to fully complete our programme. We want government to peg the number of schooling at NCE level to four years to avoid waste of time and waste of our lives,” the students said.

    “We also call on JAMB not to only recognise HND as Bsc Tech but also NCE as Bsc.Ed or Bsc.Tech Ed,” they added.

    Ojoare attributed the industrial crises in the nearly 60-year old institution as government seeming neglect to the latter’s financial predicament.

    Ojoare said all through the eight year of the immediate past governor Bataunde Raji Fashola, he never set foot on the institution despite that Fashola attended the sister institution-Lagos State University which is a stone throw from AOCOED on several occasions, and wading into the university’s management- worker crisis.

    The union lamented that at the just concluded convocation of AOCOED a fortnight ago, Fashola successor Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, could only be represented by his deputy Dr Idiat Adebule, raising the suspicion that the trend might also continue under the current administration.

    While lauding the Lagos State government for renewing the tenure of the Provost Wasiu Olalekan Bashorun for another term, the students appealed to Ambode to go a step further by inviting workers in the college to a roundtable towards ending the crisis industrial disharmony for good.

    The  students also advised President Muhammad Buhari to implement the UNESCO’s 26 per cent of budgetary allocation for developing countries to ensure the actualization of Education for All (EFA). Ojoare equally noted that the government should concentrate more on vocational and technical education as a way of reducing unemployment in the country.

    “Tertiary institution management should stop multiplying academic programmes when the existing ones are poorly funded” he added.

  • Colleges of Education union threatens indefinite strike

    The Senior Staff Union in Colleges of Education in Nigeria (SSUCOEN) has threatened to go on an indefinite strike, if its demands are not met by the federal and state governments.

    The union began a seven-day warning strike on Monday to press home its demands.

    Speaking with reporters yesterday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, SSUCOEN Southwest Chairman Lere Oladapo listed their demands as: Implementation and review of the 2009 FGN/SSUCOEN agreements; approval/implementation of migration for officers on CONTEDISS 11 and below, contrary to Paragraph 3 of the Federal Ministry of Education’s approval on same; the release of the reviewed terms and conditions of service for colleges of education to accommodate current realities and to capture the contents of the 2009 agreement; implementation of the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) in colleges of education; payment of responsibility allowance to non-teaching staff entitled to overtime allowance and adequate funding of colleges of education .

    Oladapo said the union considered the option of strike when all efforts to make the government address its demands failed.