AGBOR/Nigeria: Stakeholders in the education industry have been called upon to join the state government in uniting efforts towards repositioning tertiary education in the State.
The Obi of Owa Kingdom, HRM Dr Emmanuel Efeizomor JP, made the call at the College of Education, Agbor when he appeared as the guest speaker in a one day sensitization programme on the need to revamp the collapsed sandwich programme in Nigeria tertiary institutions.
HRM (Dr) Efeizomor who was represented by a palace Chief, Chief Ignatius Agidi, a onetime Deputy Registrar, University of Benin, called on all well meaning Nigerians, Ika indigenes, friends of Ika nation to join hand with the Provost of the College of Education, Agbor in line with the current and approved method of running tertiary institution.
The monarch stressed that there was need to revamp and bring back sandwich academic programme to its glorious days when it served the academic needs of the people who were already working while explaining that it was still very important in this current time.
Explaining the importance of sandwich programme, HRM said that when the Basic Education level was flooded with TCII Certificates holders in Nigeria, it was sandwich holiday programme that was used to remedy the situation and that the importance of sandwich programme had not dropped as it was still serving the purpose of helping workers especially teachers to upgrade their knowledge.
In his welcome address, the Provost of the College of Education, Agbor, Dr Joseph Ukadike, pointed out that the aim of the sensitization programme was on the need to revamp the collapsed sandwich programme, stressing that, it importance had not faded away especially in our society today.
Dr Ukadike stressed that National Certificate of Education (NCE) sandwich programme was designed to bridge the educational gap created by defaults in human lives in that, the teachers training colleges which served as a preparatory mill for delivery was closed down, saying it signaled danger for sandwich programme.
The provost explained that the gainfully employed in government circles and the self employed who did not have the opportunity of running full time NCE programme keyed into the programme to enhance their academic status in the society, even as he averted that Nigeria policy of NCE as the minimum teaching qualification promoted it before the patronage started falling.
He stated that many lecturers and staff of the college bettered their lots through sandwich programme, even as he called on traders, artisans, farmers and the employed civil servants to use College of Education, Agbor sandwich programme to improve their academic status in their life endeavours.
He stated that the institution had done a lot of things to encourage candidates to join the programme such as reduction in school fees and reducing the credit passes at O’Level.
The Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Samuel Ukala of the Delta State University, Abraka, said that he was a beneficiary of sandwich programme although through informal way as well that his aged mother and before her death was able to record the names of her debtors in her petty business.
Prof. Ukala stated that sandwich programme was an academic programme that was put in between programme in such a way that it did not affect one’s work, irrespective of one’s academic standard one could still use it to better his lots.
In her remarks, the Director of Sandwich Programme, College of Education Agbor, Dr Mrs j. Idiagbe, stated that age was not a barrier to education, saying “We keep on learning till death” adding that education helped to improve oneself and the environment.
