THE Committee of Provosts of Federal Colleges of Education has revealed that the colleges of education have been unable to access the N300 billion appropriated as revitalisation fund in 2023 budget, appealing to the Minister of Education, Dr Olatunji Alausa to intervene in ensuring its release.
Chairman of the Committee, Professor Faruk Haruna Rashid, made this known at a meeting with provosts of colleges of education and rectors polytechnics with the Minister of Education in Abuja.
The meeting which was called at the instance of the Minister of Education, Dr Alausa was to engage the heads of the institutions on salient issues and possible solutions to various problems bedeviling the federal colleges of education and polytechnics in order to improve their administration.
In a presentation on behalf of the colleges of education, Rashid lamented poor funding of the colleges, saying the ongoing call for curriculum review in favour of practical skill acquisition, and inclusion of entrepreneurial education was in tandem with the needs of employability in the 21st century but could not be actualised without funding for the various academic programmes run by the colleges.
According to him, the N300 billion would help tremendously in putting in place necessary infrastructure for effective teaching and learning in the colleges.
“We, therefore, call on the Minister of Education to kindly assist in facilitating the release of the revitalisation fund. To actualise these goals, we seek better funding for the various academic programmes run by the colleges.
“Well-furnished and functional laboratories are a must for a more pragmatic approach to training students of colleges of education. Since most colleges lack fully functional and equipped laboratories; effective pedagogy on practical lessons is grossly lacking. Hence, urgent attention is needed in this area in the federal colleges of education,” Rashid stated.
He equally called on the Federal Government to release the remaining tranches of the NI5 billion NEEDS Assessment/Revitalisation Fund in order to mobilize contractors back to sites.
While appealing for the Minister’s intervention in reviving the Colleges of Education’s demonstration schools, Rashid lamented that lack of funding in the colleges has not spared the schools, as many of them have been in comatose since the government stopped funding them.
“Individual Colleges currently struggle to pay the teachers employed, which has seriously compromised the standard of teaching in these schools. The schools which were originally designed as pilot schools for their communities, and teaching laboratories for the student-teachers in training, now buckle under the weight of low enrollment and mass exodus of teachers due to lack of proper funding.
“We implore the Honourable Minister to use his good office to mobilise funding for the demonstration schools, as well as absorb the staff into mainstream civil service,” he said.
He recalled that the N15 billion NEEDS Assessment/Revitalisation Fund earlier released by the Federal Government in tranches to tertiary institutions had had an overwhelming positive effect.
He said: “The earlier releases were stimulants that had motivational ripple effects on the colleges. However, the over one year delay in the payment of the balance has led to the colleges owing contractors, who in turn have stopped working.
“Currently, several colleges are facing litigation from disgruntled contractors who have taken them to court. More so, inflation has overtaken the unfinished contract jobs, while many colleges have only accessed 50 percent of their funds.
“The need for urgent intervention in rescuing the dilapidating structures and unfinished projects in the colleges cannot be overemphasized.
“The permanent secretary of the Ministry of Education, Dr Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, has written to the Accountant General of the Federation on the August 14, 2024, and the Honourable Minister of Finance on November 20, 2024, requesting for the release of N2,643,735,277.OO as second and third tranches of the revitalization fund. No positive response has been received thus far.
“We therefore entreat your office to call on the Ministry of Finance to release the remaining tranches of the NI5b, in order to mobilize contractors back to sites,” he stated.
The Minister in his response, however, urged the heads of the tertiary institutions in the country to explore other sources of generating funds for their various institutions.
Dr. Olatunji Alausa noted there was nowhere in the world that government single-handedly funds education institutions, saying alumni association, endowment, partnerships and research among others are veritable sources generating revenue to fund projects in tertiary institutions.
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