Arch The President recently gave the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) an order to strengthen support for teaching practice projects, according to Sonny Echono, the fund’s executive secretary.
Speaking to participants at the “Emerging Areas of Students Needs in Beneficiary Institutions” workshop in Abuja on Tuesday, Echono revealed that the directive also included suggestions about teaching practice allowances from the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, which now covers university faculties of education.
In order to make the Presidential directive a reality, Echono underlined the need for cooperative brainstorming and offered the possibility of changing the current teaching practice funding structure. He emphasized the need for harmonization in order to achieve mutual acceptability, pointing out differences in the computing methods used by the Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission and the TETFund. Echono acknowledged the government’s order and reaffirmed the TETFund’s pledge to follow it and put its recommendations into practice in order to increase the allure of the teaching profession, especially for education faculties and student teachers.
Furthermore, he highlighted the workshop’s broader agenda, encompassing vital ICT programs and hostel development initiatives through Public Private Partnership models. Echono underscored the significance of embracing information and communications technology in modern education systems to remain competitive globally, citing TETFund’s endeavours, notably the Tertiary Education Research, Application, and Services platform (TERAS).
Anderson Ezeibe, the National President of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), echoed the importance of establishing robust monitoring mechanisms at institutional levels to ensure optimal utilization of TETFund resources. He emphasized the need for tangible impacts in the education sector beyond mere intervention lines, stressing the importance of effective monitoring platforms to maximize value for money.
Ezeibe commended TETFund’s efforts in sponsoring infrastructural developments, scholarships, and training programs locally and abroad while advocating for strengthened monitoring frameworks to amplify the Fund’s impact in tertiary institutions.
The strategic decision made by the president to increase money for teaching practice is expected to have long-term advantages for the Nigerian education system. The government is building the groundwork for a stronger and more efficient educational system by funding the preparation and advancement of aspiring educators. Teachers with training are better able to impart high-quality knowledge, encourage critical thinking, and motivate pupils to reach their greatest potential.
Also, the initiative’s extensive and consistent benefits are guaranteed by its focus on unifying financial arrangements. All student teachers, regardless of their institution, will have access to the support they require if teaching practice financing is handled uniformly, which will advance equity and fairness.
The mandate issued by President Bola Tinubu to TETFund to enhance funding for teaching practice is a turning point in the development of teacher education in Nigeria. The TETFund is poised to make major progress in raising the caliber of teacher preparation by increasing teaching practice allowances and updating funding structures in partnership with the National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission. Long-term benefits for the education sector are anticipated from this endeavor, which will guarantee that Nigeria’s future teachers are equipped to fulfill the demands of the contemporary classroom and advance the country’s educational system. A better future for education in Nigeria will be made possible if these reforms take hold and have a good effect on student teachers and faculties of education throughout the nation.