FG to give priority to infrastructure devt in tertiary institutions

By Marie-Therese Nanlong,

Federal tertiary institutions will  henceforth be given priority in terms of infrastructural and staff development in tandem with President Muhammadu Buhari’s resolve to reposition the education sector for better productivity.

The Minister of Education, Alhaji Adamu Adamu, disclosed this in Pankshin, Plateau State, during the 25th–33rd convocation ceremony of Federal College of Education (FCE), Pankshin, where about 8,000 students were issued with different certificates obtained from the institution.

The Minister, represented by the Executive Secretary, NCCE, Prof Monday Joshua, noted that the education sector needed to key into the various “change initiatives” of the government to make the nation stronger than it was before.

Teachers’ training

His words “Evidence shows that the strongest among the education system in the world are those that train and recruit the best teachers. I urge our teachers’ training institutions to explore and expand the educational offerings that will cater for the all-round formation of their trainees.

“The change agenda of this administration will be highly successful if the teachers we produce, especially for the primary and junior secondary levels are excellent ones.”

Also speaking, Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, represented by his Deputy, Sonni Tyoden, appealed to the federal government to upgrade the College to a University of Education as the facilities and manpower are available for such.

In his welcome addressed, the Provost of the College, Prof. David Wonang, commended the federal government for using its agency, TETFund, to stimulate infrastructural development in the College.

He disclosed that the college, which began in 1974 with just 100 students now, has a population of 14,000 students with seven Schools and six Directorates and awarding degree certificates alongside the National Certificate of Education, NCE.