The Provost, Federal College of Education, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Dr. Ayodele Ajayi, has said that many students seeking admission to the nation’s tertiary institutions see colleges of education as their last option.He stated this on Monday at a briefing to announce the college convocation scheduled for Thursday.According to him, many students who settle for colleges of education are those who fail to secure admission to universities and polytechnics.
He said, “Those coming to the college today are those who are tired of seeking admission into the universities and polytechnics. They are people their parents want them to go just for any course.
“This has brought about low admission to the college, with only 120 for this new academic session to be admitted through Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.”
The provost, who said the institution would build a maternity at Osiele in Odeda Local Government, added that the project would remove the obstacle encountered by expectant mothers, including the female students.
He said, “Since most of the students are working, we cannot stop them from getting married and having their babies. Workers and other members of the host community will also use the facility. It will enable all to perform optimally.
“We already have a medical centre, but, we are planning to have the maternity centre. Some of my colleagues do ask if we want to have baby factory here, but, the answer is no. All we are targeting is a stress-free period for expectant mothers.”
Ajayi frowned on the low turnout of graduate teachers in the country, saying the development was worrisome.
He also criticised schools that employ teachers with low qualifications, noting that they would not impact positively on the sector.
The provost added, “Some of these schools would prefer to employ unqualified teachers in order to pay poor salaries. The best brains are running away from the teaching.
“As a result of this, we still have a poor response to the international teacher/student ratio in the country.”
Meanwhile, Ajayi said that no fewer than 3,948 persons would pass out during the convocation on Thursday.
