UNIVERSITY DON ADVOCATES “FULL AUTONOMY FOR VARSITIES”
The menace plaguing University education in the nation has been attributed to the lack of autonomy and academic freedom prevalent in Nigeria’s educational sector.
This was the submission of Prof. Kayode Olu Ijaduola when he delivered the 6th Inaugural Lecture of the Tai Solarin University of Education,ijagun, titled : EDUCATION AND POLICY AT LOGGERHEADS : WHO IS TO BLAME ?
The Professor of Educational Planning & Policy posited that until both the government and institutions mutually stimulates each other, with government concerned with policies formulation leaving the implementation to the institutions,the goals of attaining global excellence for ivory towers will be a mirage. While the institutions should be left to pursue teaching, research and dissemination of research finding.
Prof. Ijaduola also laid the blame for the rot in education sector on the door step of government,warning that the use of quota system for educational placement had outlived it’s usefulness and is fuelling the ember’s of ethnic and tribal differences as opposed to the unity it sought to achieved.
The inaugural lecturer also took a swipe at policy makers for making teacher education to be a four year programme at the university level, he suggested that the duration of the course should be made a 5 year programme so that a year can be devoted exclusively for teaching practice, so as to make student teachers to be well grounded in teaching. Saying that with the introduction, education graduates will be at par with other professionals thereby earning respect.
He also lent his voice to the call for graduates of Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) desirous of university education to be placed in 300 level.
The university don also expressed concern over the spate of mushrooming of university’s due to political consideration,noting that most institutions had become glorified secondary school as a result of poor government funding.
To circumvent this challenges, Prof. Ijaduola stated that selection of Vice Chancellor’s should be devoid of politicisation while teachers and lecturers should be well remunerated so as to encouraged the best to the teaching profession.
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