Federal government has started the resuscitation of the technical teacher training programme (TTTP) in order to produce more teachers for technical and vocational education in basic and post basic schools across the country.
Minister of Education Adamu Adamu, who was represented at the inauguration of the programme by the Minister of State for Education Anthony Anwukah, said the scheme would impart technical knowledge and vocational skills in students thereby contributing to the economic development of the country.
He said federal government introduced the initiative in 1970 to promote the acquisition of technical and vocational knowledge and skills based on the introduction of the national policy on education.
He said if Nigeria is to achieve the objective of the “Education for Change” agenda of the present administration, Nigeria must produce graduates who will compete favourably in the labour market as well as being self-reliant.
“To actualise the TTTP, Federal Ministry of Education collaborated with training institutions in the past, both within and outside the country in manpower development and on-the-job training for technically-oriented teachers.
“To further fast-track the implementation of the TTTP, Nigeria signed a bilateral agreement with the government of United States in 1981 to train 500 technical teachers annually for a period of 10 years,” he said.
He said the agreement was reviewed after running the programme for six years.
”However, after running the programme for six years, the agreement was reviewed and the training commenced locally in selected institutions in the country with the department of technology and science education coordinating.”
The minister said the programme was later ceded to the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI) when TSE was scrapped during the reform in the education sector.
”Following the dire need for more teachers in technical and vocational subjects, it was imperative to resuscitate the TTTP in order to advance as well as reposition Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET),” he said.
He called on the committee members to promote synergy among stakeholders to produce middle-level manpower for Nigeria.
The members of the committee include the permanent secretary of the ministry, Sunny Echono, the director, technology and science education, Elizabeth Adedigba, the director-general, National Teachers’ Institute, Dahuwa Azare, and the executive secretary, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Masa’udu Kazaure.
Mrs Adedigba, charged members of the committee to take up the assignment seriously to salvage TVET in Nigeria.
She promised not to let the nation down by working with all sense of responsibility, knowing full well of the paucity of technical teachers in colleges.
