Minister Calls For Review Of Teacher Education Policy

Agency Report

The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Anthony Anwuka, has called for a review of the National Teacher Education Policy to address the encumbrances that had hindered its implementation.

Anwuka made the recommendation while delivering the Rhema University maiden convocation lecture at the university’s campus in Aba, Abia on Friday.

In the lecture delivered on behalf of the minister by his Special Adviser on Technical Education, Prof. Godswill Obioma, he said there was a need for Nigeria to reform its education sector to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in education by 2030.

“Although the education roadmap and past education strategy plans sustainably made provisions for the policy since 2009, its implementation has been challenging to date.

“It is recommended that the policy be further reviewed to address all the encumbrances that have hindered its smooth implementation. Such a review should also incorporate the issues of tertiary teacher education,” Anwuka said.

He said that the non-implementation of the policy had contributed largely to the low quality of teachers in the country’s educational institutions.

Anwuka said that consequently, the review and implementation would boost the quality of teachers.

He called for curriculum realignment for education and training of pre-service teachers for the basic education levels and the professionalisation of teaching as a means of achieving the SDGs.

Anwuka called for “a well graded system of remuneration and allowances for teachers” to encourage the work of teaching and improve the nation’s education system.

The topic of the convocation lecture was “Improving the Quality of Teachers in Nigeria: Closing the Gaps in Education and Training and Professionalisation”. (NAN)