FG to unbundle 115 government colleges

• Minister urges principals to imbibe entrepreneurial spirit in students

The Federal Government has underscored the need for school principals to cultivate entrepreneurial mindset on their students.This is as the government disclosed plans to unbundle the 115 Federal Unity Colleges (FUCs) in the country into basic and secondary schools.

This was disclosed by the Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu, yesterday, during the opening of the Annual General Meeting of Principals of FUCs in Abuja.

The Minister explained that the unbundling of the unity colleges would, among other things, attract more funding to improve infrastructure, address teachers’ welfare and create employment opportunities, among others, adding that by integrating entrepreneurship education into the curriculum, stakeholders can empower students to become job creators rather than mere job seekers.

He highlighted benefits of entrepreneurship education to include: cultivating a resilient mindset, developing innovative solutions, empowering job creators.

The Minister listed four pillars underpinning the administration’s education transformation to include: teacher empowerment through continuous training and growth; strategic integration of technology and digital learning; curriculum revitalization for relevance and academic excellence as well as forging robust partnerships with communities and industries.

“Entrepreneurship is not merely about starting a business; it is about cultivating a mindset that embraces challenges, perseveres through failures, and continuously learn from experiences. It is about instilling in our students the ability to identify opportunities, develop innovative solutions and create value for themselves and their communities.

“By integrating entrepreneurship education into our curriculum, we can empower our students to become job creators rather than mere job seekers. We can inspire them to develop sustainable business models that address societal needs, drive economic growth, and contribute to national development,” he said.

In her address, the chairperson, Federal Unity Colleges and Principal, FSTC, Ilesa, Dr Idowu Akinbamijo, said the annual meeting focuses on the issues of skills acquisition leveraging on technology.

According to her, these priorities are crucial for fostering a dynamic learning environment and equipping young people with the skills necessary to thrive in the modern workforce.

In his intervention, the Executive Secretary National Senior Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC), Dr Iyela Ajayi, said the commission in the last two years has trained over 600 Senior Secondary School teachers of English Language and Mathematics on the enhancement of pedagogical skills focusing major on the perceived difficult concepts.