The new students that took the matriculation oath at the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education Otto/Ijanikin (AOCOED) last Thursday were puzzled when the Provost, Mr Wasiu Olalekan Bashorun, gave his cell phone number – 08090500157 to them.
He asked the students to feel free to report to him any case of intimidation or sale of handouts which has since been banned in the college, adding that any erring lecturer will be sanctioned. He also asked the students to avail themselves the phone numbers of the Registrar, Chief Security Officer, Students Affairs officers and Deans of Schools for same reason. Bashorun also mandated the deans of schools to do more of supervisory roles of students in addition to their primary responsibility.
Bashorun said the new measure, is to further strengthen the college’s onward march to becoming the best college of education nationwide within the next three years, noting that the reform must first commence from within.
The 1,507 students cut across Schools of Vocational and Technical education; Science; Arts and Social Science; Language and School of Preliminary Studies.
“I challenge the students to report any member whether teaching or non-teaching staff who are selling handouts, not attending classes or harassing students. Deans (of schools) should go round classrooms, monitor teaching, look at the comfort of staff and students and take necessary steps to make the job easy for them.
“We are no longer contented with being one of the leading colleges of education in Nigeria. We want to be number one; and we will do everything possible to attain this within the next three years.”
To realise its dream, Bashorun said the college commenced with infrastructural development last year with full completion of three projects- health centre, IDCT centre and School of Technical and Vocational Education. Aside looking forward to full completion of the ultra-modern administrative block being constructed by the state government, the college would equally be awarding contracts for the new lecture theatre and auditorium courtesy TETFund intervention.
“We have placed advertisements in the newspapers inviting private sector interest in the construction of students hostel, eatery and a filling station in the college. The Lagos State Public Works Corporation is also helping with the resurfacing of our internal roads. We want to have a new AOCOED where teaching, learning, research and community development shall be done in an aesthetically inviting, clean and wholesome environment.”
This year, we shall enhance our efforts to partner with leading institutions and organisations in and outside the country to attain our strategic objectives. Our ongoing engagement with the Ekiti State University (EKSU) and Lagos State University (LASU) shall be sustained. We shall continue to strengthen our relationships with the University of Wisconsin and University of Georgia both in the USA in the area of distance education and distance learning.
Similarly, we shall renew our partnership with the University of Perth, Western Australia, University of London and Havering College of Further and Higher Education in the UK. We are also exploring the feasibility of deepening the skills and competencies of our administrative and teaching staff by adapting the highly acclaimed Finland Education Model in teaching and learning in the college.
He urged the new students to stay away from anti-social groups, dress decently, face their studies seriously as the management would provide them with the best professional teacher education that would propel them to becoming good leaders.
Bashorun also identified staff welfare and training/development as key which the management will not compromise. Besides prompt payment of staff salaries, Bashorun assured staff training would be sustained. He therefore called on all to join hands with the management to ensure fulfillment of its aspirations.
