The Provost, Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba, Delta State, Prof. Josephine Anene-Okeakwa, has said that Federal Government of Nigeria is working towards addressing the issue of low enrollment in colleges of education across the country.
Prof. Anene -Okeakwa stated this while interacting with journalists who visited the institution following online media reports that the number of lecturers in the college are more than that of students.
She expressed deep disappointment over the misleading publication, stating that the author failed to conduct proper research before making such allegations. The academic called on media practitioners to imbibe the principle of responsible journalism by checking and cross-checking information before publishing.
Prof. Anene-Okeakwa, however, acknowledged that student enrollment in colleges of education is dwindling across the country, especially in Southern Nigeria, but refuted claims that lecturers outnumber students at Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba.
She stated that the Federal Government is already tackling the issue of low enrollment, citing the introduction of a dual-mode system that allows the institution to run both National Certificate of Education (NCE) and degree programmes to improve enrollment.
Appealing for more responsible journalism, the Provost called on journalists to uphold ethics of the profession by thoroughly investigating information before publishing.
She commended the visiting journalists for taking the time to verify facts firsthand, rather than relying on rumours from detractors.
On the growing indifference towards enrollment for education courses, she expressed worries over the rising belief among Nigerian youths that “education is a scam,”
Prof. Anene-Okeakwa warned against such misconceptions as she advised the youth 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.
On Government’s commitment to Colleges of Education, the Provost assured the public that the Federal Government is making efforts to address challenges facing the specialized institution. She reaffirmed the school’s commitment to delivering quality teachers and encouraged prospective students to take advantage of the available opportunities.
Prof. Anene-Okeakwa also called for collective action from professionals across the board towards placing colleges of education in their correct perspective.