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Gregory varsity chancellor restates importance of technical education

By Ujunwa Atueyi
25 November 2015   |   11:51 pm
Chancellor, Gregory University, Uturu (GUU), Abia State, Dr. Gregory Ibe, has urged the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, to work towards the establishment of technical and vocational schools in all local council areas across the country.   This, he said was very imperative if the Federal Government sincerely intends to address the yawning skills…

Nigeria-educationChancellor, Gregory University, Uturu (GUU), Abia State, Dr. Gregory Ibe, has urged the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, to work towards the establishment of technical and vocational schools in all local council areas across the country.
 
This, he said was very imperative if the Federal Government sincerely intends to address the yawning skills gap in the country, and meaningfully engage its teeming youth population.
 
Speaking with journalists where espoused the challenges confronting the country’s educational and technological advancement, Ibe stressed that the future remains bleak for any nation that ignores its youths.
 
He therefore tasked government to rethink the quality of teaching and learning in schools, and also ensure that children learn with their heads and hands.
 
He said, “The lacuna in today’s education system, which is critical is lack of technical schools. The National Policy on Education says that there is supposed to be one technical school and four vocational centres per local government area. And wherever you have four vocational centres, you need to have one polytechnic. So the government of today and the new minister must walk towards this direction and ensure the establishment of several technical and vocational schools and even polytechnics.
 
“We have shortfalls in these areas, and our children are not skilled. Note that once you are skilled, you are already made. But we are all seeking for final profession, thereby producing graduates that return to learn tailoring 15 years after sitting at home.”
 
So in order to short-circuit this, he continued, “The minister of education should focus on putting the necessary elements in place to have these children well educated with their hands.”
 
He added that skills acquisition does not only enable people to be self-reliant; it also, in the long run, help to produce mass technicians that would contribute to economic and technological advancement in the nation.
 
“I hope today’s government would expand its investment in skills acquisition, science and technology education and address the critical problem. We need a lot of investment in that regard, so it would not be an issue of empty classrooms. Let classrooms be buildings that have all it takes to groom the child. Again, training, retraining and continuous development of our teachers is imperative.”

He said it was in realisation of these facts that the university was established to produce a critical mass that would liberate the country of economic and technological challenge.

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