Government Committed to Revitalising Education Sector, says Anwukah

Prof. Anthony Anwukah, Minister of State for Education.

The need to ensure effective teaching and learning that would reflect and respond to the needs of individuals and the society has once again been revisited.

This summed the overall views of the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Anthony Anwukah and other stakeholders who spoke at the unveiling of the 2016 Maltina Teacher of the Year event in Lagos.

Anwukah had during his remarks at the event informed that government is committed to creating innovative strategies and strengthening institutional structures towards revitalizing the education sector.

This he said would be achieved by “addressing out-of-school crisis, strengthening basic and secondary education, teachers education, adult literacy and special needs education as well as generating education data for planning.

“Others are curriculum and benchmark minimum academic standard, technical and vocational education and training, quality assurance and access to higher, information and communications technology in education and library services.”

He said all attempt is geared towards ensuring that quality teaching and learning are offered in Nigerian educational institutions, which in turn would translate into public good.

He added that achieving the goal of education requires absolute attention on and development of teachers, who delivers the content to the children. He therefore commended the Nigerian Breweries, the organisers of the award for taking part in the development of the country.

He said, “I am impressed with the extent that NB has gone in contributing to the educational sector in the country. They have indeed demonstrated an unshakable resolve as a partner for development. At a time like this when Nigeria is in a resolute march of change and turnaround, education occupies a strategic place in the agenda of the current administration to bring about a positive turn of events for our dear country.

“I want to encourage all teachers across our educational sector to develop and invest in themselves and ensure pupils and students under their charge are actually learning.”

He further stated that as part of measures to ensure adequate checks on teachers, time is coming when teachers who are not registered with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) would be denied access to teach in government-owned school.

“It is commendable that NB have made the possession of a registration certificate from the TRCN mandatory for application for this contest. I can state clearly here that very soon only teachers who are properly registered with the TRCN will get the opportunity to be employed to teach in government schools. We must salvage education in this country, if we fail to do this, in few years to come we can hardly walk the streets of Nigeria safe,” he said.

Also, Founder/Chief Executive Officer, Centre for Values in Leadership, Prof. Pat Utomi, remarked that teaching quality is at the heart of education, and therefore must be made competitive.

Citing the Finland model of education and its decision to make teaching profession a top priority, he upheld that equipping and recognizing teachers is critical to quality in education and moving the nation forward.

Managing Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc., Mr. Nicolaas Vervelde, said it was in realisation of this fact that the company is operating with a philosophy of “Winning with Nigeria,” adding that the firm will continually engage in activities that will in the short and long run uplift the nation.