20th March, 2017
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said better teaching and learning techniques are a panacea to contemporary challenges in the education sector.
Osinbajo he made this observation on Monday when met the Chairperson of the West African Examination Council (WAEC), Dr Evelyn Kandakai at the Presidential Villa.
“Lately, it has become obvious that we have to make more of our young people to be more entrepreneurial in their approach to everything.
“It is interesting that we have found ourselves, especially those of us in this part of the world at this time, trying very hard to work out educational systems that is relevant to our people.
“Obviously our initial contributions in this sector were inherited from colonial times.
“But it is becoming more evident anyway that we must chart our own course in education and I know that it is a challenge that we face regularly.’’
Osinbajo said the focus of educators should be on the kind of subjects, and the kind of teaching methods that challenge critical thinking and being creative, thinking out of the box.
He, therefore, enjoined stakeholders in the education sector to find lasting solutions to society’s contemporary challenges.
He emphasised that the political office holders have the responsibility to “throw the challenge to the educators and hope that they will be able to give some form of direction as to where society should be heading to’’.
The vice president applauded the efforts of the council’s board and management at maintaining and sustaining the institution’s status as the foremost sub-regional examination body in terms of standards and quality.
Earlier, Kandakai said that Nigeria was a pillar of support to WAEC in all its years of existence.
Kandakai said Nigeria’s immense contributions both in human and material resources had taken the examination body to greater heights over the years.
She said WAEC and the West African sub-region remained hugely indebted to Nigeria that is shouldering 54 percent of the institution’s financial burden.
WAEC is a sub-regional examination institution with membership of comprising Nigeria, Ghana, Gambia, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
The council will hold its 65th annual general meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.