Okowa wants stakeholders to design curriculum to address societal needs

DELTA State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, has decried agitations for the setting up of more tertiary institutions in the state. This is as he has called on stakeholders in the education sector to come up with a template for aligning school’s curriculum with societal needs in order to make for continuous improvement in the standard of education in the country.

Okowa who spoke at a two-day education summit where stakeholders drawn from across the nation x-rayed the
sector, in the light of the current falling standard said that with seven existing tertiary institutions, he was at a crossroads regarding the establishment of another.

The state presently has two colleges of education at Agbor and Warri; a college of physical education in Mosogar and three polytechnics in Ozoro, Ogwashi-Uku and Otefe. The Delta State University, Abraka has three campuses while four proposed polytechnics at Sapele, Abigborodo, Aboh and Bomadi are yet to take off.

The governor said: “We already have seven tertiary institutions with numerous campuses, yet I am being bombarded with requests for more. I am afraid that if the trend is not checked, it will get to a stage where every local council and community will be demanding for a tertiary institution. The summit should find a solution to this.”

Okowa remarked that revising the curriculum was critical to enhancing the quality and relevance of education for the benefit of all children.

He said teachers as critical stakeholders need more orientation and training to impact positively on students’ performance stressing that “great teachers help create great students.”

To achieve better results, Dr. Okowa said parents must be fully involved in educating their children and wards, by assisting teachers to provide sound education, both in academic learning and in character building, pointing out that, “this can only be achieved when they are given the right kind of education, based not only on universal access, but also anchored on rigorous standards.”

Former Delta State Commissioner for Basic Education, Prof. Patrick Muoboghare, said the summit was organised to address factors responsible for the falling standard of education and “not who is wrong.”

Describing education as a big investment, Muoboghare, who chaired the committee, however blamed all stakeholders for their roles in the malaise, calling for proper funding of the sector in order for it to contribute to other sectors now that the oil price was taking.