Buhari appreciative of teachers’ contributions to national devt. –Minister

The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, says President Muhammadu Buhari will remain conscious and appreciative of the invaluable contributions of teachers to national development.

Adamu stated this while delivering his keynote address at the 24th convocation ceremony of the Federal College of Education (FCE), Osiele, Abeokuta, on Thursday.

The minister, represented by Alhaji Bappa Muhammadu, Executive Secretary, National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), also noted that the Federal Government remains committed to improving the standard of education in the country.

According to him, education is one of the cornerstones of any nation, adding that the Federal Government has been unrelenting in the pursuit of increasing access to education.

The minister disclosed that education would continue to receive appreciable budgetary allocations which had enabled the ministry to positively and quickly respond to demands for improved funding.

“In the bid to properly situate the educational system for the citizenry to acquire skills and knowledge that will prepare them for the world of works, the Ministry of Education has been in the fore front of reform efforts aimed at re-engineering and repositioning the education sector.

“The Federal Government has continued to grant approval for the establishment of new institutions of higher learning to create additional admission spaces for the teeming youths seeking admissions,” he said.

Adamu urged the graduands to see themselves as young entrepreneurs capable of becoming self-employed and employers of labour, saying government was no longer the sole provider of employment.

In his remarks, Dr Ayodeji Ajayi, the Provost of the college, said that 8,777 students spread across five different schools of the college graduated.

He added that those graduating were trained through full time, part time and sandwich programmes in the 2013-2014, 2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 academic sessions.

Ajayi urged the graduating students to abstain from participating in acts that might tarnish their image and that of the college.

The highlight of the convocation was the inauguration of the College Conference Hall, a water treatment plant and theatre arts complex.

It was reported that the school also inaugurated a Vocational Education Building complex named after former President Olusegun Obasanjo.