The provost, Federal College of Education (Technical), (FCE(T), Asaba, Delta State, Prof. Josephine Anene-Okeakwa, has said that the federal government was working towards addressing the issue of low enrollment in Colleges of Education across the country.
She made the observation while reacting to findings that teaching and non-teaching staff were more than students studying at the institution.
Anene-Okeakwa acknowledged that student enrollment in Colleges of Education was generally low across the country, especially in southern Nigeria, compared to what it used to be in the past, but firmly refuted claims that workers outnumber students at the institution.
“The federal government is already tackling the issue. The introduction of a dual-mode system that allows the institution to run both NCE and degree programmes is increasing enrollment.
“The institution is committed to delivering quality teacher education and encouraged prospective students to take advantage of the available opportunities”, Anene-Okeakwa stated.
On the growing disregard for education, the provost expressed concern over the rising belief among Nigerian youths that “education is a scam,” warning against such misconceptions as she charged young people to understand that education remains the foundation of success in any field.
She also appealed to wealthy individuals and politicians to sponsor students from rural communities as part of their constituency projects, emphasizing that the college has sufficient hostel accommodations and state of the art facilities for students at all levels.
Anene-Okeakwa called for collective action by urging the media to support the institution by promoting factual and positive narratives that encourage enrollment and development in the education sector.
