Basic Education Critical To National Development – Prof. Paulinus Okwelle
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The Executive Secretary National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Professor Paulinus Okwelle has stated that Basic Education is the primary pillar that will re-engineer the Nigerian education landscape.
Stressing that strengthening and stimulating teacher resourcefulness at the basic education level will help expand the frontiers of our educational sector in Nigeria.
The Executive Secretary NCCE made this known while delivering his goodwill message at the 26th, opening ceremony, of the Nigerian Academy of Education (NAE) in Abuja.
He then appealed for stronger synergy between the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the National Universities Commission (NUC), by instituting some changes in TETFund’s intervention processes as it relates to Colleges of Education (CoE) and the implementation of the new policy of converting colleges of education to universities of education.
The NCCE boss also call for more assistance in the provision of more reading materials for the Early Grade Reading Project created to adjust the curriculum for the infusion of early grade reading in indigenous languages as early as primary one.
According to Professor Okwelle, the project has been highly successful since its inception and has enjoyed partnerships with USAID for the production of reading materials in indigenous languages.
He also called on the Tetfund to establish Modern Micro-Teaching Laboratories in the six newly established Federal Colleges of Education as constructed in the older Federal Colleges of Education and as well fund Model Practical Teaching Centres in Federal Colleges of Education as their establishment acts as laboratories for Teaching Practice.
The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Arc. Sonny Echono in his presentation as the keynote speaker commended the Federal Government’s Students Loan Scheme, saying it will guarantee sustainable higher education and functional skills development for all Nigerian students and youths, regardless of their status or income level of their parents.
The president Nigeria academy of education
professor Kabiru Ishyaku in his remarks commended the NCCE current leadership for the transformative reforms, most especially in the area of policy formulation and Early Reader initiative.
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