Magnus Eze, Enugu
The Economics Educators Association of Nigeria (EEAN), an umbrella of teachers and lecturers of Economics from different secondary schools, colleges of education and universities in the country, has asked the National Universities Commission (NUC), and National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), to include their members in the resource verification and accreditation teams of Economics education programmes in the universities and colleges of education.
The professional group also asked the federal government to encourage the teaching and learning of Economics through provision of adequate instructional materials and regular training of teachers that can address the current Economic realities.
EEAN’s recommendations were the outcome of its two days maiden Annual National Virtual Conference, with the theme: ‘A new dimension to Economics curriculum and instruction in developing economies.’
They further recommended that no less that 60 per cent of Economics education courses should be domiciled and taught by Economics educators’ lecturers instead of their counterparts in the servicing department (Economics), while it will set up a committee to harmonize the Economics education courses taught in the Universities in Nigeria and discuss them with relevant authorities.
A communiqué by National President of EEAN, Dr. Joseph Onuoha and the chairman of the communiqué drafting committee, Dr. Maxwell Ede noted that the Association agreed that more and only qualified teachers and lecturers (Economics educators) should be employed to teach Economics subjects and Economics Education courses in the schools and higher institutions of learning, respectively.
“From various presentations and discussions made during the conference, observations were that over 75 per cent of Economics education courses in the universities are hosted and taught by the lecturers in the servicing department (Economics) and very few by lecturers in Economics education which contribute to the failure rate among undergraduates and teachers’ performance in teaching Economics in secondary schools.