28th September, 2019
The Federal College of Education, Okene in Kogi, has introduced academic programmes aimed at curbing illiteracy, Dr Umar Hassan, its Provost, said on Saturday in Okene.
Hassan said that the courses focus on non-formal education to curtail illiteracy among adults.
The Provost, who marked his second year anniversary as the school’s helmsman, said that the institution had keyed into the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), reforms by ensuring that the courses were accredited.
“The goal is to ensure that those who did not have the opportunity to be educated early in life are not totally left out,” he said.
Hassan said that the Adult and Non-Formal Education Department currently had 250 students, pointing out that learning was a continuous activity “irrespective of age”.
“I feel that at any age one can still learn and be educated,” he declared.
The Provost hinted that Special Education would be added to the programme from the next academic session to create opportunities for People Living With Disabilities (PLWD).
“We are working on the manpower needs of this department. Three of our staff members are currently on course in Ghana to acquire skills in these special areas,” he said.
He said that in spite of the lean resources at the disposal of the College, critical policy decisions had to be taken to stabilise the system with quick interventions in academic programmes.
“These include the organising of resource visit for the newly introduced programmes of History, Geography, Economics and Adult and Non-Formal Education and the School of Early Childhood Care and Primary Education.
“We also created the Department of Political Science as part of our determination to attain the vision and mission of the College and to key into NCCE reforms and in consonance with societal demands,” the Provost added.
Hassan, who was appointed Provost of the institution on Sept. 26, 2017, said that the college had also created additional academic directorates and restructured the existing ones to ensure greater efficiency and service delivery.