The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union has called for stronger government support and attractive incentives to revive Nigeria’s struggling teacher education sector, warning that recent policy measures alone are insufficient to address the declining interest in education and agricultural science programmes.
President of the union, Dr. Ahmed Lawan Bazza, made the position known while presenting a communiqué issued at the end of the union’s National Executive Council meeting held in Abuja.
Bazza expressed concern over the steady decline in applications into teacher education and agricultural science courses across colleges of education nationwide, describing the programmes as some of the least subscribed in the country.
According to him, while the recent policy by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board granting waivers for candidates seeking admission into NCE Agricultural programmes was commendable, it would not be enough to reverse the trend without additional incentives.
He stressed that the teaching profession must be made more attractive to young Nigerians through improved welfare packages, scholarships, employment opportunities and other forms of support capable of restoring confidence in the sector.
The union noted that the declining enrollment figures pose a serious threat to the future of teacher education and manpower development in Nigeria’s education system.
COEASU further urged the Federal Government to speed up ongoing reforms and processes aimed at improving the welfare of education workers and strengthening poverty alleviation efforts in the country.
The union maintained that revitalising teacher education is critical to national development, insisting that teachers remain central to the growth of every sector of the economy.
Members of the NEC also called for sustained investment in colleges of education, improved learning facilities and policies that would encourage more students to pursue careers in teaching and agriculture.
The communiqué emphasized that without deliberate intervention and incentives, the country may continue to witness low enrollment in programmes essential to food security, education and national development.
NTANEWS//X