Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu, who made the call at a workshop organised for master trainers, said the college of education system is undergoing reforms with additional mandate of concurrently running Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) and degree programmes, hence, the urgent need for a comprehensive review of the curriculum to produce new sets of qualified teachers expected from the system.
Sununu, at the programme, themed: ‘Strengthening teachers English proficiency (STEP) and digital literacy,’ by National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) in partnership with the British Council, also expressed concerns with the quality of educators in the system, stressing that the teacher’s pedagogical, communicative and digital skills will, to a very large extent, determine students’ learning outcomes.
He said: “Education, in all its forms and at all levels, is not only an end in itself, but one of the most powerful instruments for bringing about changes required to achieve growth and sustainable development.
“This vision emphasises a holistic, inter-disciplinary approach to developing the knowledge and skills needed for the future, as well as the necessary changes in values, behaviour and lifestyles.”
Executive Secretary, NCCE, Prof. Paulinus Chijioke, lamented reports of poor communication among some NCE graduates, saying it is the responsibility of the commission to ensure that teachers are proficient in the use of language.
Chijioke also stressed the need to continuously upskill teachers in the proficiency of English Language.
He added that the workshop was aimed at improving communication proficiency by teachers, and also promoting the culture of digital literacy in curriculum facilitation.
“With this training, quality of learner’s outcomes will surely improve as the pre-service teachers will be equipped with new skills that are likely to transform their teaching techniques, approaches, and pedagogy,” he stated.
