WOLE BALOGUN, Ado Ekiti
The acting Provost, Ekiti State College of Education, Ikere Ekiti, Dr. Victor Kehinde, has decried the decline in the enrollment of students into the college of education in the country, saying the development threatens the growth of college education.
The provost revealed that the sharp drop in the admission level into colleges of education had led to serious financial challenges for the institutions. He, therefore, advocated the review of education policy to bail the colleges out of the current problems.
He also advised the state government to fast track its efforts on the conversion of the college to a full-fledged university, saying this would automatically solve the plummeting enrollment level and financial hurdles being experienced by the institution.
He spoke with newsmen in Ikere Ekiti on the current situation of the college, adding that it would be expedient for the National Council of Education to redesign admission into the colleges and make it different from what obtains in the universities.
“The national council of education had reviewed admission policy by introducing the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), which made admission into colleges the same with that of the universities.
“This had created a serious problem, because prospective admission seekers will prefer to go to university and spend four or five years than to go to the college and spend three years and another three years for degree.
“That is why all over Nigeria today, our colleges are experiencing low enrolment. And once the enrollment drops, you will have to depend fully on subvention from the government which is not in any way good for the system.”
Kehinde added that the colleges are looking up to a bill pending before the National Assembly, which will increase the number of years to graduate in colleges to four years to address the situation and bring a radical reprieve.
‘If the bill is passed and it becomes law, it will create what we will call a dual mode study like you have in advanced countries. With this, there will be two years for the award of NCE certificate and two years for degree which will be moderated by National Council for the Colleges of Education(NCCE).
“But pending the time this will take effect, the Federal government through the National Council on Education should reduce admission requirement to colleges, so that more students can apply for admission.
“In Britain and other climes, colleges and institutes award PhDs. So, colleges can be empowered to do this and I know that law also takes care of this.”
He commended Governor Kayode Fayemi for promptly constituting the governing council of the college, saying this will help the developmental strides being initiated by the management.
“The council inaugurated recently has been going round trying to reach out to Ikere community to work with government on how to upgrade our college to a university.
“The community must be ready to make commitments to make this happen.
“We are not also resting, the management had approached a university in USA for partnership. When this commences, a student who enrols here can get our NCE certificate and degree of that university simultaneously. “