Teacher education now matter of national survival – Education commission

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By Joseph Erunke, ABUJA

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The National Commission for Colleges of Education, NCCE, has launched a far-reaching overhaul of Nigeria’s teacher education system, declaring that the future of the nation depends on producing a new generation of technologically equipped, globally competitive and professionally respected teachers.

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Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Angela Ajala, made the declaration on Friday in Abuja during a media parley with journalists, where she unveiled an ambitious reform agenda designed to transform Colleges of Education from mere certification centres into innovation-driven institutions capable of meeting modern educational demands.

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Ajala warned that Nigeria could no longer afford to treat teacher education as a routine bureaucratic exercise, insisting that strengthening the sector had become a matter of national survival.

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She said the commission was abandoning the old accreditation culture focused largely on paperwork and institutional compliance, stressing that the true measure of educational reform must be seen in the quality of teaching and learning in classrooms across the country.

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“The era of assessing institutions only through files and documents is over. What matters now is whether children in classrooms are actually learning from competent and well-prepared teachers,” she said.

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At the heart of the reforms is the implementation of the Dual Mandate policy, which grants qualified Colleges of Education the authority to independently award Bachelor of Education degrees under approved guidelines.

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Under the arrangement, students will undertake a five-year academic structure comprising a three-year Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programme followed by a two-year Bachelor of Education degree.

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Ajala described the initiative as one of the boldest transformations in Nigeria’s teacher education sector in decades, saying it would restore confidence in Colleges of Education and eliminate the long-standing perception that the institutions are academically inferior to universities.

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According to her, the reform is expected to expand opportunities for students pursuing professional teaching careers while strengthening the relevance and prestige of Colleges of Education nationwide.

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The NCCE boss also revealed that the commission, in collaboration with the National Universities Commission, NUC, is reviewing teacher education curricula to align with global realities and emerging technological trends.

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She said the new curriculum would expose future teachers to digital literacy, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, competency-based learning, inclusive education, climate studies, emotional intelligence, STEM, education and child safeguarding.

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“We are preparing teachers for the world that exists today, not the world that has passed,” Ajala stated.

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She explained that the revised curriculum would also focus heavily on practical teaching experience, innovation, problem-solving, foundational literacy and numeracy, as well as values reorientation aimed at rebuilding confidence in the teaching profession.

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On admissions, Ajala disclosed that the commission was reviewing existing entry processes to eliminate unnecessary bottlenecks while preserving professional standards and competence in the sector.

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She maintained that although teaching should remain accessible to passionate candidates, the profession must continue to uphold quality, responsibility and excellence.

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The Executive Secretary further appealed to the media, state governments, unions, governing councils, parents, development partners and the private sector to support the reforms and help change public perceptions about teaching in Nigeria.

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“Teacher education is too important for silence. Teachers need dignity, students need motivation, classrooms need competence and Nigeria needs a stronger teacher pipeline,” she said.

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