AOCOED Graduates 8,366 Students, LASG Plans to Transform Tertiary Institutions

AOCOED Graduates 8,366 Students, LASG Plans to Transform Tertiary Institutions:

 

A proposal to re-design the education content in tertiary institutions in Lagos State is underway. When perfected, it is expected to transform tertiary institutions owned by the state into centres of excellence. This was disclosed by Governor Babatunde Fashola SAN, at the convocation of the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), Otto/Ijanikin, Thursday last week for sets 32, 33 and 34 comprising 8,366 graduands.

Fashola, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Oluranti Adebule, said the revolution was necessary to justify government’s huge investment in the institutions.

He said: “I must mention that the state government is currently working on a proposal that would revolutionalise the architecture for tertiary institutions in Lagos State, making it more result-oriented. We intend to re-model our tertiary institutions to become more focused, efficient, purpose-driven and professionalised.

“We should not have tertiary institutions just for the sake of it. Our institutions should transparently justify the huge investment of public fund and collective attention devoted to their existence. By now, remote teaching, distance learning, life-long training, should constitute permanent features of the academic composition of our institutions. We need institutions that are Centres of Excellence in the true sense of the expression.”

Fashola also promised that other areas of education across levels would not also suffer, assuring of his government’s continued investment in education in the state.

“Let me reiterate that we shall continue to invest in the future of our children, our youths and indeed our nation through proper investment in education within the limit of our resources. Education is no doubt, the most fundamental weapon to fight poverty, to intimidate ignorance, to defeat religious extremism and to ensure social orderliness,” he said.

He, however, said that only quality teaching delivered by the well- trained and committed teachers can produce globally competitive graduates.

The Provost, Mr. Wasiu Bashorun, said the college would have loved to make the convocation bigger, but for the grief in the nation caused by incessant kidnappings, ritual killings, and terrorist attacks.

He urged the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, to release the girls abducted from the Government Science Secondary School, Chibok in Borno State immediately and unconditionally.

Senator Oluremi Tinubu and a former provost of the college, Prof. Bashiru Oderinde were conferred with the institution’s fellowship award.

Justifying the choice of the recipients, Bashorun said Oderinde, is a true son of Lagos and an accomplished scholar, while Senator Tinubu used her exalted office to facilitate TETFund grants for the construction of a 1,200-seater auditorium for the college, completed a day to the convocation and which served as the venue of the event.

The interim Chairman of the Governing Council, Prince Abiodun Ogunleye, congratulated the graduates and urged them to make positive impact as they venture into another endeavour in life. (The Nation)