Pioneer Director General of the Teachers Continuous Training Institute (TCTI) Biase, Cross River State, Professor Taoheed Adedoja has disclosed that the Institute has considered the retraining of Technical and Vocational Education Teachers in Nigeria as a top priority.
Adedoja made the disclosure on Saturday August, 20, 2022, at a workshop in Ogoja, Cross River State, where Principals of public and private secondary schools in Cross River State were in attendance. The important workshop took place in three centres in the senatorial districts of the state: Biase, Ikom and Ogoja and was attended by nine hundred and sixty five (965) Principals and Vice principals of public and private secondary Schools in Cross Rivers State.
The pioneer DG, Prof Adedoja remarked that, “skill based curriculum in schools has become the trend in the 21st century knowledge economy, as the high rate of employable graduates from our educational system has become a great burden and concern to stake holders in the economic and educational sectors, and therefore needs to be addressed urgently.’’
The TCTI, Biase, which is the initiative of the State Governor, Prof. Ben. Ayade has taken the re-skilling of teachers of vocational and technical education a top priority in its retraining program, admonishing that, other subject teachers must also undergo re-skilling for child cantered skill acquisition rather than place emphasis on curriculum based learning.
Recall that the Deputy Governor of the state, Prof. Ivara Ejemot Esu, who declared the workshop open last week, referred to TCTI Biase as one of the best legacies of the Cross River State Administration led by Senator (Prof) Ben. Ayade.
At the opening ceremony of the workshop, the Cross River State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Godwin Amanke emphasized the need for retraining courses for teachers, while the Chairman of the opening ceremony, who is the Chairman of Cross River State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Senator Dr. Steven Odey re-assured the Institute that Cross River State SUBEB and TCTI, Biase are natural partners in Teacher Development.
During the phase three of the workshop held on, Saturday August 20, 2022 in Ogoja, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Cross River State chapter, Comrade Gregory Olayi commended the efforts of the pioneer Director General TCTI, Biase, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, and supported the need for continuous re-training of teachers but emphasized that, “the retraining expenses should be borne by Government and not by the teachers or Principals, in view of the poor remuneration for the teaching profession in the country, which ought to be addressed”
