Posted by The Port Harcourt Telegraph on
Rivers State Government says Colleges of Education holds the key to the corrective process in the educational system in the country.
Rivers State Government says Colleges of Education holds the key to the corrective process in the educational system in the country.
Governor Peter Odili who gave this indication on Thursday when a delegation of Provosts of Federal Colleges of Education in the country paid him a courtesy visit at Government House, Port Harcourt, noted that any nation, which ignores education is not planning for the future.
Dr. Odili said the leadership of the institutions had played prominent roles in ensuring the attainment of the objectives of the schools and commended the Federal Ministry of Education for selecting those that would run higher institutions particularly the Colleges of EQucation.
"The Colleges of Education hold the key to the corrective process of the educational system of our nation because those who are going to supervise, train and educate others must be special people", Odili said.
He argued that successive governments have not paid enough attention to the welfare of those who produce those that teach the children for the future, and assured them that his administration would leave no stone unturned in ensuring that governments focus in this direction are collectively made better.
The Governor stated that the quality of Education, especially at this level, would depend on the content, infrastructure, staffing in terms of relevance to the defined objectives of the institutions, and the leadership, noting that "when the head is right, the rest of the body is likely to follow suit".
Dr Odili observed that the educational system has suffered a lot of set backs in the nation over the past years, pointing out that to address them requires the collective process of ensuring good leadership at the higher institutions.
The State Chief Executive thanked the Federal Colleges of Education Provosts for the efforts some of them have made in the running of their institutions, stressing that the appointment of Prof. Adison Nwokocha as the provost of the Rivers State College of Education was based on his track record of performance.
The Governor urged them to see their jobs as a moral duty to the nation in mending the character of future leaders, since the formative years for young people hold the key to the foundation of tomorrow.
Dr. Odili told the Provosts that they are holding critical positions in the society at critical point in the history of the nation as they are entrusted with the responsibility of helping to form the character of young people for the future.
The leader of the delegation and Provost of the College of Education, Pankshin, Plateau State, Dr. Ibrahim Bulus, said they were in Port Harcourt for their meeting, which was holding outside Abuja for the first time, based on their love for Rivers State.
Dr. Buhus said the gathering affords them the opportunity to look at areas of enhancing uniformity and exchange ideas on how to improve the institutions, and commended Governor Odili for supporting the full accreditation of programmes of the Rivers State College of Education and urged them to keep up the tempo in education.
He lauded the Governor for his giant strides in governance, particularly his great interest in education, which led him to begin free school buses, renovation of schools, payment of NECO exams fees for students, and enhanced bursary allowances amongst others.
The Provost thanked Dr. Odili for appointing Prof. Nwokocha to head the State College of Education, and assured him of their collaboration and support of the Committee of Provosts to his administration, and prayed God to guide him in his endeavours.