ABUJA – A delegate to the National Conference, Hajia Dije Bala, representing Elder statesmen, on Monday in Abuja called for the revival of Grade II Teacher training programme to boost the teaching system in the country.
Bala in her contribution to the report of the Social Sector Committee’s report, attributed the poor teaching system in the country to the dearth of teachers in primary schools.
“We are where we are today because of the dearth of teachers of primary schools. The day this country stopped the running of Teachers Grade II schools was the day they sent our children to poor education.
“A teacher could have the knowledge but lacks the skill to pass it to the students. I will strongly recommend that the kind of Grade II teachers colleges that used to be should be re-introduced,’’ Bala said.
She said this was important as the colleges of education did not have enough time to groom the needed teachers in primary schools.
“The teachers don’t teach but lecture and that is not what we need in our primary schools.
“The Grade II teachers colleges be brought back even if it is going to be one in each geographical zones,’’ Bala said.
Another delegate, Bashorun Arogbofa, also stressed the need to promote reading and writing culture among Nigerian children by making books available to them.
Arogbofa said in most of our schools students did not read because books were not available and they were not promoted.
“We should take revolutionary steps which include provision of sub-social funds for infrastructure and learning facilities in schools.
“Library, which is the site of knowledge should be set up and be equipped with relevant books that will be constantly updated.
“In particular, our little children should be caught young by being introduced to reading culture and be told how many books they need to read per term,’’ Arogbofa said.
He also urged the conference to recommend removal of import duty on books to reduce the cost of books as well as to recommend the prohibition of piracy.
In her contribution, Prof. Olabisi Aina, said that there was need for government to increase workshops and well-equipped laboratories for practical works in the science education.
“Government should increase more funding to better equipped our laboratories for practical work, especially in science classes in tertiary institutions,’’ she said.
Aina also stressed the need for government to train the human resource in the health sector.
She said that the problem of Nigerian medical sector was not training of the doctors but the inability to engage them in their residency of housemanship programmes after training.
“Most of the doctors wait for two to three years even to have a place to serve their housemanship, while some wait almost indefinitely to have hospitals take them for residency.
“To make the money spent on our medical doctors viable for the health sector and the nation, I am suggesting that federal government should dedicate special fund to support housemanship and residency training programme for medical doctors.
“The reason for these hospitals not taking them is not because there is no space but due to lack of funds to pay them.(NAN)