Over 80 percent of teachers lack formal training —- Prof Okebukola

THE immediate past Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Peter Okebukola has stated that over 80 percent of teachers working in higher institutions in Nigeria have not received formal training, adding that, is a real challenge to the growth of education in Nigeria.
Prof. Okebukola who revealed this while delivering the 10th Convocation Lecture of Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, titled ‘Higher Education and Africa’s Future: Doing What is Right’ held at Covenant University provided; “Depreciating quality of higher education teachers is a problem of the education sector.
The inability to have quality higher education teachers, on account of its relative newness only a few have training and skills, but majority of them are learning on the job, which has resulted in the stagnancy of higher education.”
The Don who noted that there are several gaps that Nigeria needs to bridge in the quest to reduce the rot in higher education and elevate it to a global status, also listed some of the challenges facing higher quality education in Nigeria which include, “poor attitude of students to work, inadequacies in funding, management inefficiencies, curriculum inadequacies to impart 21st century skills, research capacity deficit, poorly-prepared students from the secondary level, slow adoption of ICT for delivering quality higher education, among others, which has resulted to the stagnancy in the educational sector.
Prof. Okebukola frowned at the appointment policies saying; “Management inefficiency is a big challenge in the educational sector, especially in the case of inadequacies in the appointment system of vice chancellor and rectors who are the head of the institutions. Another contributory factor is the lack of full deployment of the committees system in governance. On paper, all institutions are to be run through a layer of committees.”
“More importantly, problem on the part of students is as a result of their attitude towards working. People no longer want to read but want to pass. As a student, there should be willingness to read, you shouldn’t be forced. Poor attitude is reflected in absenteeism, nonchalance towards assignments and writing of lecture notes.”