Members of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Anambra State chapter, have rejected the Federal Government’s policy granting waivers to Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination candidates seeking admission into Colleges of Education, describing it as a non-proactive measure that will lower the standard of the teaching profession.
The teachers insisted that teaching is a profession with the same status as other professions and, therefore, the standard of admission into Colleges of Education should not be cheapened to attract candidates.
The Anambra State Chairman of the NUT, Chika Chukwudozie, made this known during a press briefing in Awka on Saturday while calling on the Federal Government to reconsider the policy and immediately engage relevant stakeholders to formulate impactful education policies.
Chukwudozie pointed out that the press briefing was organised specifically to intimate the public on their standpoint regarding the Federal Government’s policy of granting waivers to Colleges of Education.
She said, “We are all aware of the recent policy of the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Education, where the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, announced that education and some agricultural courses are to be exempted from Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board UTME screening.
“According to the minister, enrolment in education courses is low and because it is low, the government believes that the solution is to remove UTME/JAMB screening requirements for those seeking admission into Colleges of Education, thereby lowering the standard of admission into Colleges of Education.
“The Nigeria Union of Teachers rejects this policy and the associated logic, which is not proactive, because teaching is a profession and has the same status as other professions. Therefore, the standard of admission into Colleges of Education should not be cheapened to attract candidates into it.
“After all, it is globally acknowledged that education is the bedrock of all development and the foundation from which all other professions take their bearing. Most importantly, it is a sector responsible for producing the teachers who will shape the minds, values, competence and morality of people scattered across all other professions. Why then should it be made an all-comers affair?”
According to the teachers, the policy is not reformatory but rather dangerous and detrimental to the expected high standard in education.
“Gentlemen of the press, there are proactive measures to make admission into Colleges of Education attractive and competitive, which the Federal Government has refused to address.
“These measures include attending to the welfare of teachers, including improving salaries and remuneration, keeping the school environment safe and conducive for learning, creating a functional career path and growth opportunities for teachers, implementing the regulatory policies of the teaching profession, and providing adequate infrastructure in schools.
“Improving education funding, creating functional and accessible scholarship schemes for students in Colleges of Education, and enhancing the professional dignity of teachers through the provision of basic needs such as housing, means of transportation, soft loans, etc.
“With all these put in place, candidates will naturally scramble to seek admission into these colleges of education with the aim of becoming proud professional teachers,” she added.
She emphasised that for Nigeria to climb the developmental ladder, the Federal Government must realise that policymaking requires professional consultations, consideration and direction.
She insisted that the policy and the hasty manner in which it was introduced raised serious concerns about the level of professional consultation and strategic thinking that preceded its announcement.
“If a policy is properly and adequately formulated with due consultations made, there will be no need to exert energy defending it; rather, it will be convincing and impactful.
“NUT is known as an organised and proactive labour union that is always willing to partner with the government at all levels to ensure greater developmental strides in the country, especially in the area of education.
“This is necessary because if any country gets it right educationally, other processes will follow. To get it right educationally, teacher welfare, education welfare and student/pupil welfare must be made frontline priorities, and other things will follow.
“Therefore, NUT calls on the Federal Government to reconsider this policy and immediately engage relevant stakeholders to formulate impactful education policies.
“The future of this country is too important to be sacrificed on the altar of administrative convenience and weak policy. Once a nation weakens the quality of those who educate its children, the nation is systematically endangering its future.
“It is on the above premise that NUT asserts that the policy of giving waivers to candidates seeking admission into Colleges of Education through JAMB is wrong and will be counterproductive to the nation’s education system and development,” the teachers added.
Read the full article here
