Edo Govt apologizes to protesting college of education students

-----Blames protest on communication gap

By: Idris Umar Momoh

Edo State government has apologised to the students of College of Education, Igueben over the last week peaceful protest carried  out by the students which paralysed activities at the school. 

Joan Osa-Oviawe, the state commissioner of education, tendered the apology during a meeting with the students union leaders and the acting provost of the institution at the weekend in Benin City.

Oviawe, who described the protest as unfortunate, however, attributed it to communication gap between the state government and the school management.

While noting that the students have a right to be angry, she added that the action by the state government to close down the school for proper restructuring and reformation of the colleges of education system in the state  was not to destroy the education of the students but to lay solid educational foundation for the future students of the school.

She promised that the students will henceforth be carried along in the decision making of the school as well as introduction of quarterly meeting with the students.

She explained that the government had before the start of the colleges of education reform in 2017 directed all campuses to phase out their existing students.

The commissioner opined that the  state government was reforming the colleges of education in the state to produce graduates that are prepared to teach in the 21 century.

According to her, what is very clear is that I will like to emphasise from the point of view of the ministry of education and by extension, the Edo state government, is that we are reforming education in Edo State. 

"That is what led to the repealing of the law that established the old colleges of education and new colleges were created.

"In the past, every college offered all the programmes and they never had the money to actually provide quality teaching. 

"We are now saying let’s streamline; focus on an area. Igbueben is the main campus and it is going to focus on training of secondary school as well as technical and vocational teachers.

"Abudu is one of the campuses. It will focus on early childhood and basic education teachers while Afuze which is another campus will focus on physical, health and special  education", she said.

She assured that year three students will graduate in line with the existing academic calendar on February 28, 2022 while the year two students will graduate by September, 2022.

Oviawe, who however, lamented lack of Mathematics and Literature-in- English teaching personnel disclosed that out of the 12,000 applicants that applied for the ongoing teachers' recruitment in the state less than 500 persons applied to teach mathematics.

"We are recruiting teachers now for secondary schools,  over 12,000 applicants have applied, but the number that applied for Mathematics is not up to 500 and English- in- literature is not up to 200.

"The vast majority of the application  so far submitted are in economics and government. Having excess in one area and shortage in other area was due to lack of planning", she added.

Earlier, Famous Akiowu, the President of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) in the college, attributed the peaceful protest to the decision of the management to cancel the admission of all the year one students and close the school for restructuring.

Akiowu expressed dismay that the students were admitted, subsequent to an advertisement by the school, and that they were now being directed to return home while their school fees and other charges would be refunded.

He noted that all efforts to seek clarification from the relevant quarters proved abortive as none of the letters written were attended to.